


souhait accordé

by ndnickerson



Series: souhait accordé [3]
Category: Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Genre: Anal Sex, Bathroom Sex, Birthday, Bondage, Cat, Christmas, Clubbing, Costume Kink, Dom/sub, Double Penetration, F/M, Masochism, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Outdoor Sex, Prostitute Fantasy, Punishment, Roleplay, Sadism, Sex Toys, Skinny Dipping, Spanking, Wishes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-12
Updated: 2011-11-26
Packaged: 2017-10-24 13:02:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 38,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/263787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ndnickerson/pseuds/ndnickerson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nancy and Ned exchange wish lists - very specific wish lists.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"You have to promise not to laugh."

Ned chuckled. "I can't promise that," he called back. "How the hell could I promise that?"

"Well, you have to promise to at least try not to."

"Sure."

Nancy bit her lip and looked down, then pressed her lips together and stepped around the corner, into the doorway, where Ned could see her.

The curtains were all closed, the blinds pulled; she had checked. They had gone out for Ned's birthday, and the daiquiris were still humming pleasantly in the bowl of her skull. That was most of the reason she had scraped up the nerve to do this.

She had led him to a chair at the kitchen table and cuffed him there, still in the black pants and collared shirt he had worn for their date. The cuffs were threaded through one of the rails, so he was effectively her captive. He had put up absolutely no fight about that.

The music she had cued up started.

Nancy flipped apart the belt of the trench and opened it, let it slide off her shoulders to the floor. Her gaze was locked to Ned's, and as soon as he saw her outfit, his eyes immediately shifted back up to hers.

"You lied. You _did_ look."

She flushed a little, taking a few more small steps forward.

She had looked.

It had been years before, when she had been investigating a hacking case at Emerson. Omega Chi had been one of the hardest-hit targets, and the hacker had managed to find a folder on the house network, full of files detailing—

Well, Nancy had called it _hazing_ and Ned had become very angry and told her it was _pledging_ and they definitely did _not_ haze each other, and George had rolled her eyes and Bess had been very sympathetic.

Whatever it was exactly that they detailed, Ned's file was at the top of the list, and they had all been desperate to prevent it from hitting the web, none quite so desperate as Ned himself. While she and Maury had been working on taking the hacker's site down, Ned had made her swear to keep it private, and _definitely_ not look.

But she hadn't been able to stop herself.

The list was five items long. She had read each item, her eyes widening as she progressed.

Sexual fantasies. _Ned's_ sexual fantasies.

One in particular had stuck with her, all the time since, but he had never mentioned it, and she had known that the second he saw her like this, he would know that she had looked, even though she had sworn she hadn't.

Because it was a Catholic schoolgirl uniform. White button-down, knee-length plaid skirt, white stockings, penny loafers. She hadn't quite been able to bring herself to put her hair up in little-girl ponytails, so it tumbled loose around her shoulders.

She stepped forward in time with the music and tossed her hair. "Sorry," she said softly.

He looked like he wanted to be angry, but arousal was fighting it in his brown eyes. "You saw all of it?"

She nodded. "But I can't really remember it all... I don't know why this one stayed in my head."

"Maybe because you liked the idea too."

She stepped forward until her skirt was only a few inches from his knees and swung her hips in an exaggerated, sensuous arc in time with the music, gathering up her hair and letting it spill from her fist. "Maybe," she agreed.

She reached up and unbuttoned the first button of her blouse, and Ned's gaze was centered, fixed on it. She reached for the next and stepped forward again, between his open knees. He sat up a little straighter as she unfastened the next button, then the next, and let her shirt gap open. She ran the backs of her fingers down his cheeks and grasped his shoulders, leaning forward so he could press his face between her breasts. He took the fabric between her bra cups in his mouth and tugged, and she arched over him, letting out a soft moan.

When she danced teasingly away from him, her shirt still on, her skirt giving a saucy flip, Ned cleared his throat. "You know... what you read, on that list... it wasn't everything."

"Oh?" She stretched her arms up, feeling faintly ridiculous, her hips still swaying with the music, and then ran her fingers through her hair, ran her hands slowly down over her breasts, molding the fabric against her flesh so her nipples peaked against it. Her hands slid down to her waist, down to cup the join of her thighs as she swayed for him. When she glanced at Ned's eyes again, he was thoroughly enrapt.

"What else was on your list," she prompted gently, her fingertips flirting with the swaying edge of her skirt.

Ned swallowed hard. "What are you wearing under that?"

She flipped up the skirt, giving him a flash of black lace panties, a black lace garter belt holding her stockings up, then flipped it back down. She took the collar of her shirt in her hands and walked deliberately toward him, her lower lip stuck out in a sultry pout, and straddled his knees, her thighs open wide, her weight on the balls of her feet. She dropped her shoulders and let her shirt fall off, then pushed herself up, arching. Ned brought his knee up and deliberately rubbed it between her thighs, and she jerked back, panting a little, shooting him a mock warning glare.

"I knew what they were gonna do with that list," he said softly. "And I have to say, you have been a naughty, _naughty_ little girl."

Nancy's lips quirked up as she cupped her breasts through the bra, gyrating to the music. The beat traveled through the floor, the bass thudded through her, and she was wet at seeing just how turned on he was getting. The bra she wore was black, but the material was thin as a broken promise.

"Trust me, I really, _really_ want you to keep going, but could you take that fucking bra off and uncuff me and get your hot ass over here."

"It _is_ your birthday," she sighed, and did a slow circuit around him, running her hands through his hair, kissing his neck. She came back around and turned so he could watch her unfasten the bra, then swung around to face him, letting it fall down her arms. Ned let out a small sigh as she walked toward him, then straddled him again, this time at his waist. He planted a hard kiss against her shoulder as her fingertips drifted over the front of his pants.

"Now where, oh where, did I leave those keys."

She stroked him deliberately, feeling his cock stir under the fabric, and reached into his pocket for the keys, sliding forward to rock her hips against his.

Ned sucked her earlobe as she began to work on the cuffs. "You wet, baby," he growled.

She closed her eyes and nodded as she freed his wrist. As soon as the other was loose he grabbed her by the hair, gently, and she met his eyes.

"On your knees," he said softly.

She obeyed, heedless of what she was doing to her stockings.

"Now, I want you to finish this, believe me, but right now, I want you to tell me how sorry you are."

Nancy looked up at him, and she gasped, her inner flesh clenching as he grasped her breasts hard, pinching her nipples. "I'm sorry," she cried out, "I'm so sorry, Ned, I shouldn't have looked at it when you told me not to."

"And?"

He pinched the sensitive flesh again, harder this time, and she arched, shivering, slick with arousal at the pain. "And I shouldn't have lied about it, oh fuck. Oh God I'm so sorry."

He released her and she slumped, holding herself up by leaning on his legs. He reached for his fly and unfastened his pants, and pulled out his cock. She gazed at it, just inches from her face, and then up at his eyes.

"That was a good start. Bend over my lap."

She looked back at his cock, and he shook his head. "No. Stand up."

When she did, he tugged her down, so that she was bent over his knee. Her skirt was still in place, and Ned put his hand over it, cupping her ass. He rubbed there and she sighed.

Then he took his hand away—

and spanked her, hand cupped a little, fingers together, through the plaid skirt.

Nancy let out a little whimper and wiggled her hips, and Ned rubbed her again, soothing the sting.

Then he spanked the other cheek and she squealed, anticipating his soothing hand again.

He spanked her a few more times, until her ass felt warm and tingled, and then he snaked his hand under her skirt and rubbed his palm between her thighs. She let her head hang and moaned in frustration. She wanted him to thrust his fingers up into her, to order her to ride his cock.

Instead, he gently pushed her away. "Keep going," he told her, relaxing in the chair.

She continued her striptease, undulating in front of him to brush her nipples against his lips, sitting on his lap and gently rubbing her ass against his erection. When his fingers dug into her sides she stood up and faced him again, giving herself over to the music. She ran her hands down over her flesh again, fondling her breasts, rubbing her nipples. She stroked down the front of her skirt again, deliberately showing him where she wanted him to touch her, then reached for the buttons on her skirt. She sauntered toward him with the music as she unfastened each one, slowly, then let it fall to the floor.

He reached for her and she was barely bent over his knee again before he was rubbing her ass, and she squirmed in anticipation at the feel of his hand through her panties. She angled and found her crotch rubbing against his knee—

and then he spanked her, a little harder this time, then again, and she flushed as she rubbed against him and her already-sensitive clit rubbed against him, and then he reached down and pushed his hand between them, setting his knuckles, through her panties, against the slit of her sex. She whimpered and ground against his hand, and he spanked her again, again, her flesh stinging and flushed in answer.

Then he nudged the crotch of her panties aside.

"God, yes," she burbled, and squirmed harder at the thought of him fingering her as he spanked her again. He let his fingertips drift against the cleft of her ass, through her panties, as he soothed her after, and she panted, circling her hips.

Then his hands stilled. "Finish," he told her.

She stood, wobbling a little, and waited until she had her breath back, then stepped between his legs again. He caught her nipple in his teeth, suckling it as she rubbed deliberately against his cock again. She loosed the garter clips and grasped the edges of her panties, then shoved them down, her freshly-smacked flesh sensitive under the slide of the rough lace.

She stepped out of her panties and shoes and bent over Ned's knee again willingly, eagerly, moaning as he cupped his hand between her legs. "Good girl," he said gravely as he spanked her bare ass, sliding his fingers between her thighs at the same time. He spanked her harder just as his fingers found her clit and she let out a stuttering cry. She was so fucking wet and incredibly sensitive from his punishment, and she rubbed herself against his fingers as he spanked her again.

"You like that? You like being punished for being such a bad girl?"

She nodded. "God, _God_ it hurts but it feels so damn _good_ ," she panted out, whimpering as he barely traced her opening with his fingers.

"More," she begged, and he smacked her again, again, faster, then soothed her with a warm caress as she ground against his fingers. He grabbed her ass hard and she shivered.

"Finish your lap dance," he told her, and when she glanced at him she saw him holding his cock, stroking it jerkily as he angled it for her.

She pushed herself to her feet, starting to straddle him, but he shook his head. "Face the other way," he told her, sliding his ass forward.

She mounted him slowly, her ass still stinging, and he had one hand cupped between her thighs, the other holding himself in place for her. As soon as she had taken an inch of his cock he slipped his fingers into the press of her wet flesh and she let out a cry, grasping his knees. He circled her clit as she leaned forward, aligning their hips, and she began a slow thrust, shivering with the urgency of his fondling. Her slick inner flesh rippled against his cock as he rubbed her clit, and she rocked harder against him, her breasts bouncing, fighting to keep her balance.

"God, baby," Ned groaned, and she winced when they parted. He shoved the chair away from him and dropped to the floor, her discarded skirt under them as she squatted over him—

She cried out in pleasure as she took his cock again, and his fingers against her clit were even more frantic. She rode him as hard and as fast as she could, grasping his knees for balance, slowing when he tensed under her, trying to draw him out even further. Her thighs were burning with the strain and he arched up under her, thrusting when she wouldn't.

And she fell to him as he thrust up into her, again and again, her hips jerking with the movement. He rubbed her clit the other way and she sucked in a long harsh breath for a sobbing cry, grinding against him in delighted answer. He flicked her clit hard and they came together, panting.

When she could finally focus again she glanced around at her discarded clothes, feeling the bass pound through them. Gingerly she lifted herself off him and then collapsed to the floor beside him, her ass still warm, her sex sore and sensitive. He made a soft humming noise she recognized as speechless pleasure.

"Hmm," she murmured.

"Hmm," he replied, and opened his eyes, turning to her.

"So I saw the Catholic schoolgirl thing on the list, but not that whole spanking thing...?"

Ned sighed. "I knew that they'd— turn it into something— well, embarrassing. So I just didn't put that part."

She nodded. "So they made you put on a little outfit..."

He shrugged. "Something like that," he said, and looked away from her. "Okay, turnabout's fair play. You get to see mine, I get to see yours."

"I don't even remember all of them!" she protested, pushing herself up on an elbow and gazing down at him.

"Really?"

Under his direct stare, she looked away. "Well, a few others, maybe."

"Most of which we've probably already tried."

Nancy grabbed the grocery store pad and a few pens, ripping each of them a sheet, and they set to work, Ned almost entirely dressed, Nancy in her stockings and the shirt she pulled back on. When they were finished, they exchanged lists.

"Okay, number two's not happening," she told him.

Ned made an affronted noise. "Well, if we can trump things, four is totally out. I am not into that."

She shrugged. "Well, okay. I can understand that."

Then she laughed. "Free square?"

"I couldn't think of ten," he said defensively.

She chuckled. "And, number three on your list..."

"Is number five on yours," he said, glancing down at it. "So we could combine—"

"We will _not_ combine," she told him. "Where's the fun in that."

Ned caught her gaze. "So we're doing this? I mean, like, really doing this?"

She shrugged. "Why not?"

"Are there any rules?"

She considered. "A day's notice if we need it. Or more, for number one on my list. And I don't quite know how we'll work number eight on your list—"

"Well, we don't have to do all of them. Maybe five off each. So no duplicates."

"And no warning about _which one_ it is."

"And our safe word if we want to call it off."

Nancy's eyes were sparkling when she glanced up at him. "Oh, honey. This..."

"Is gonna be amazing," he finished, folding her list. "I mean, number one? You're into number one?"

She directed a playful punch at him, and they ended up tangled on the floor, breathless, struggling against each other until she grasped his cock.

"Maybe we should take this upstairs," she said.

"Race you," he replied.


	2. Chapter 2

Saturday.

She knew it would be Saturday. He told her specifically it would be Saturday and they didn't have sex that entire week. He told her to wait, that it would be amazing, probably, and if it wasn't, well, they could just have screamingly rough sex after and take care of it.

The anticipation was enough to kill her. She found herself staring at his ass or his crotch, rubbing deliberately against him in the mornings. A few times, in the shower, the water hit her at the right angle and she could feel her inner flesh going tender and sensitive, and she had to convince herself not to slip a hand between her thighs and take care of it.

By Friday night she was so frustrated that she climbed onto his lap while he was sitting on the couch, stripping off her shirt for him. Ned just returned her nakedly lustful gaze with a calm neutral one and lifted her off him.

"Tomorrow," he told her, sternly.

And, if she was being honest with herself, she liked it when he was like this, when it seemed that she wouldn't be able to seduce or talk him into obeying her. She liked the way trying to provoke him made her feel. No matter what, even if he did refuse her, she knew that Saturday he would finally give her what she practically wanted to beg him for.

She spent all day Saturday wet. While she was at the mall with Bess and George, while she was grocery shopping, while she was washing a load of clothes, she was wet, her nipples peaked under her bra, just at the thought of what he might have planned for her. At dinner she pressed her thighs tight together and silently begged him not to make her wait too much longer.

When she had loaded the last dish into the dishwasher and washed her hands, Ned walked up behind her. Her entire body seemed to thrum with the awareness. He reached up and closed his fist in her hair, pulling her head back slightly. His breath touched her ear and she shuddered.

"Give yourself to me," he told her, and that fist in her hair was a threat, one he would immediately release at her word.

Instead she nodded slightly.

He nodded back. "Go upstairs, take your clothes off, and get on the bed. And don't you dare touch yourself or we're done for the night."

It sounded good but she was pretty sure that wasn't true. Ned _loved_ the idea of watching her touch herself. Just a hint about it could make him hard.

Even so, when he came upstairs she was naked on the bed, still hot and slick and tender between her thighs. She was sitting up, her hair loose down over her shoulders, as she watched him walk in and close the door behind him. He walked over to the bed and took her chin in his hand, letting his gaze drift over her, and she loved the naked lust in his expression; she felt her inner flesh throb in response.

Then he reached for her wrists and she obediently leaned back, letting him cuff her to the headboard. He grasped her hips and pulled them down until her arms were fully extended but not uncomfortably stretched, then took her knees and spread them apart, wide as they would go. He bound her that way and she felt entirely defenseless, completely at his mercy. She could move her hips, a little, but she couldn't clench together, couldn't close her legs to him at all.

He was still entirely, teasingly clothed as he touched her chin again, let his fingertips drift down her neck, between her breasts. "You obey me," he said softly. "You don't move unless I say you can. You get carried away and wiggle your hips, and we're done for the night. Understand?"

She licked her lips. "Yes."

This wasn't him, wasn't them, but _God_ , it was hot to see the naked, glowing intent in his eyes, for him to dominate her like this. And she had a terrible, delicious feeling that she knew where this would be going.

He kissed the point of her chin and then trailed soft, teasingly light kisses down her neck, against her collarbone. He blew on her nipple, resting his palm on her belly, and then blew on the other, and she was trembling with the _need_ to move under him as he licked one, slowly.

While he worked on her breasts, so damnably slowly, so terribly gently, he traced his fingers over her belly button, in small circles over the tingling flesh of her stomach, but didn't dip below. He never actually suckled against her breasts, either, and she was dying for it, for the heady bliss of that sensation. He trailed his fingers down her sides and she wanted to sob, wanted to flinch back at how his touch seemed to burn through her. He touched her hips and she quivered under him.

"Mmm," he warned her, and then stood.

She bit her lip, her fingers white from the tension as she squeezed the headboard. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry. Please don't stop."

He shook his head. "I guess you just need to cool down for a minute."

Before she could hold it back she was crying out in frustration. "Ned Nickerson, I swear to God, if you don't get your ass back over here—"

He took his shirt off, then came back over to the bed, looking down at her with amusement in his eyes. "You'll what, babe? The lock is facing the wrong way for you to get it and those restraints would hold someone three times your weight. I can leave you there like that until morning and don't think I don't know how wet you are right now, I can smell it on you."

She swallowed, hard. "I'm sorry," she said again. "Please. Please don't stop. I want you so much."

He sat down at the foot of the bed and brushed the backs of his fingers over the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs, and she actually had to fight herself to keep from arching up into the sensation. He leaned down and she could feel the heat radiating from his bare flesh against her inner thighs as he kissed her, just between her breasts, then lower, slowing and growing lighter with each kiss until he reached her belly button. He stroked her hips gently, and then slowly, so very slowly, traced his fingers up against her crotch, not yet touching her inner flesh. She felt herself flush, felt her clit twinge in answer, and this time the shiver he produced in her clenched her inner flesh alone and she smiled at the small victory.

Her arousal was simmering in her belly, an almost physical pain whenever his fingers strayed too near her sex, and that was nearly perpetual. She blew out a long breath as he teased just the tips of her pubic hair, and her thighs tensed in need to press up against him. He traced the edge of her upper thighs, teased a line at the very bottom of her belly, and then blew for just the barest second against her parted lips.

She grasped the headboard so hard she was surprised it wasn't splintering in her fingers.

"If I move will you spank me?"

He shook his head. "Definitely not. Even though you would deserve it. We'll just end this for the night. Now just relax."

She closed her eyes and released a silent moan of frustration, but her eyes popped open as she felt Ned's thumbs glance over her nipples. It had felt so good before, but now, now that she was dying for it, the sensation was as strong as having him press the sensitive flesh in a clothespin. She whimpered and opened her legs a little wider, and as her wet flesh touched and moved she bit her lip.

She had never, ever, _ever_ wanted him as much as she did right now.

He glanced his thumbs down again, and her sex was tingling in anticipation as he barely, just barely, traced her lips. She let out a choked moan, her belly tight with arousal.

Then he fitted two fingers lengthwise over her, up and down, lined up with her inner lips, and gently traced a circle around the top of her sex, around but never actually brushing her clit.

She whimpered. " _Ned_ ," she begged, "please, please." He made his next stroke even slower and gentler and she trembled in the need to move under him, to circle her hips, to thrust up and make him touch her clit.

"Oh?"

" _Please._ "

"Please what?" Damn him, she could hear the edge of a laugh in his voice.

"Please fuck, fuck, touch me, _God_ ," she cried.

He pulled back and she watched him take his jeans off. He had left the light on and she could feel the heat prickling in her face, knew the wet flesh between her thighs had to be a deep dusky pink in arousal for him, but when he looked at her she was surprised that _he_ had been able to hold out for so long.

Then he came back to her and touched her the same way, his fingers curved against but not slipped between her inner lips, his thumb up at her clit.

He brushed the wet sensitive button of flesh and she cried out. The sensation crashed through her, as strong as if he had just shoved a jittering vibrator to the hilt inside her. She shook with need and he pulled back again, shaking his head. Her stomach dropped painfully in the absence of his touch.

"I can't, I can't," she sobbed out, "oh my God, please, I need you, please don't stop, please don't stop."

He leaned down and kissed her, for the first time in what felt like forever, and she kissed him back hard, desperately, their tongues fighting, and then he broke the kiss and reached for her breast as they kissed again. She gasped into his mouth and tried to hold herself still as he fondled her, his thumb gently stroking her nipple. He touched the other and she shuddered, panting when he broke the kiss.

"I couldn't— I can't help it, I'm sorry," she begged.

He nodded, then got up and went into the bathroom, and Nancy cried out in frustration. He came back and went to their bedside table, and she watched him slick lube over his fingers.

He touched her again, his thumb just barely brushing her clit, his fingers barely touching her, and then set up a steady, unvarying rhythm, teasingly gentle as he fondled her clit. She bit her lip until it was sore and tipped her head back, her inner flesh clenching in anticipation as her arousal swelled and surged inside her.

She was just at the very edge, just beginning to feel the terrible joy of her orgasm when he pulled back.

"Fuck," she swore, shaking with desire. She could feel her hair sticking to her sweat-slick flesh, and every bit of her felt flushed and overheated. For a moment it wavered, tremulous, inside her, and she squeezed her eyes tight shut, groaning as it began to fall apart.

"I hate you," she told him, with her eyes still closed. "Oh my God."

"Mmm," he agreed. He started to say something, then stopped.

Then he touched her again, the same way, even more gently, for an even shorter time. Her arousal was fucking _painful_ ; the relief of his caress was in the anticipation, but he destroyed her again when he brought her so, so close, then pulled back again, and she couldn't even buck her hips up in the barest imitation of what she wanted without losing even this.

By the third time her every muscle was tensed in the effort it was taking to hold herself still under him; every nerve was between her legs and the slightest brush of his fingers against her made her gasp in pleasure. She moaned his name, panting, baring her neck. His touch was light as breath and her sex clenched with _need_ for him, and she was _so, so close_ , and then he pulled back.

She sobbed in frustration, her eyes wide as she gazed up at him. Her muscles ached, and her arousal soured and wrecked in her belly, only to light again when he looked down at her, his gaze hooded in naked desire.

"Tell me what you want," he whispered.

"Let me come," she sobbed, begging. "Please, fuck, please let me come, please, I don't care what you do please please please please—"

"If I free your hands will you—"

She nodded violently. "Yes but oh my _God_ please Ned _anything_ —"

But he didn't free her hands. He slipped his underwear off and knelt between her legs, and when he brushed her clit again her chin jerked in answer.

Then, in one swift brutal movement, he was inside her, and his thumb dug against her clit.

"Move, baby, come," he grunted as he sheathed himself fully inside her.

She _screamed_ as she came, the second the first syllable was past his lips, her hips writhing and rocking against his as he thrust into her again.

Oh, God, she had done it before, while she was touching herself. She had pulled back before she could come, going lightheaded and even more sensitive at the deprivation before she continued.

But this, oh, fuck, _this_ , letting him control it, begging for it, entirely at his mercy.

She had _never_ , not the first time, not ever, _ever_ been this sensitive.

Her orgasms always felt like pleasure at the edge of pain, but this, the pain, the delight of her release after being denied for so long pushed the pleasure so fucking high that she couldn't breathe. He suckled against her nipple and she screamed again at how good it felt. She was so wet, her inner flesh so hot and tender and _ripe_ for him that every stroke of his cock just sent her impossibly higher.

She had never thought it could ever be this intense, ever. She jerked and shuddered under him as he flicked his nail over the tip of her clit, pinching her other nipple between his front teeth. She cried out again and it just kept building, and she begged him to stop, begged him to keep going, harder, faster, her inner flesh rippling and pulsing against him as he fucked her harder.

Her orgasm lasted through his. She couldn't tell where her first one ended and her second one began, but when he was spent, still sheathed tight between her thighs, her hips pinned beneath his weight, he rubbed her clit in a rough irregular rhythm and she screamed again, her throat raw from it. She struggled under him and even when he pulled out of her he thrust three fingers up inside her immediately and _oh, oh_ how it felt, pure drowning bliss so hard it hurt.

For a long, long time after he stopped touching her, her thighs slick and still held apart, she trembled with the aftershocks. He planted a kiss against her breast and she shook under him at the sensation.

When he unbound her legs she brought them together, and then he uncuffed her. She sat up and wrapped herself around him, her wet, still sensitive flesh pressing to his stirring cock.

"Again," she begged, brushing her thumb over his lower lip, and he claimed her mouth in a kiss as she reached between them. She cried out, her knees up, as the hard, hot length of him filled her sex, and she rutted against him, as he squeezed her ass, forcing himself more roughly inside her.

She arched and her clit rubbed against the base of his cock and she tossed her head, her mouth falling open. Ned grunted in exertion and she could hear her own breath rising in panting cries, turning to low, wickedly pleased groans as she came again, bearing down, angling to rub her clit even more roughly against him.

It felt so, so fucking good. She never wanted to stop. Never.

Ned's tanned flesh was slick with sweat when they finally slowed, and their parting made a low wet sound. She let herself fall back to the bed, knees together, and wrapped her arms around her slick torso.

"God," Ned groaned, drawing out the single syllable. He had to make a few attempts to get up, and once he made it to the bathroom he came back with a wet washcloth for her. She opened her legs for him and winced at how incredibly sensitive her nerves still felt as the cool wet cloth touched her skin. He cleaned her off and then slipped back into bed, naked.

"Okay?"

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm," she replied, with a little grin. "Oh my _God_ yes. Maybe next time we can take it for longer—"

Ned made a soft incredulous sound. "I thought you were going to _explode_ there at the end. I was."

She blinked at him, slowly. "Why, Ned," she said, touching his cheek, "what are you saying?"

"Do you know how incredibly fucking _hot_ you looked? I mean, _fuck_ , there you are, open wide and dripping wet and I'm supposed to pretend I can control _anything_ —"

Nancy chuckled. "You are _very_ good at pretending, then."

He shrugged. "Was it that much better? I mean, you were going crazy when I was in you—"

She licked her lip. "It was fucking _incredible._ It was like four times as intense as the best orgasm I've ever had, and I swear to God, if we could do that every single time, I would."

Ned smiled. "Maybe with a vibrator next time..."

She shivered. "Maybe," she agreed, pulling him down to her for a long, slow kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

Ned's phone rang. "Nickerson," he answered.

"N—"

His secretary had barely managed the first syllable when the door of his office opened, and he looked up to see Nancy standing there.

"Hi," she said, giving him a little wave.

He hadn't been expecting her, and that, coupled with the small wave and the utterly wicked gleam in her eye, made him nervous.

"Hi babe," he said, pushing his chair back a little. "What's up?"

She shrugged, but the corners of her lips curved up a little. A paper bag swung from her hand. "Just thought I'd surprise you with lunch. You are hungry, right?"

"Sure," he said, letting his gaze drift over her again. He wore his usual suit, his jacket off and sleeves rolled up; she wore one of her power suits, a black two-piece with a pencil skirt and a red button-down underneath. Her blue eyes were wickedly bright.

Ned crooked his fingers and she came closer. Her hips had a definite sway to them.

He tried desperately to remember exactly which item on the list she could possibly have chosen.

She leaned forward, which meant her ass was in the air and she was basically bent over his desk and his office door was half open, and for a feverish second he thought about slamming the door, shoving her skirt up and fucking her on his desk. He could see halfway down her shirt, like this.

"So what's going on?"

She made her blue eyes wide and innocent. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." She grabbed a folder from his desk and stood up. "Follow me."

Her pencil skirt was slit up the back and he saw a flash of stocking with her every step, and she wore those damn dark stockings with the seam up the back. He was so focused on them that he didn't notice quite where they were until they were nearly there.

"Why are we going to Foster's office."

Nancy shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. He was getting in his car when I parked. And that's probably his secretary..."

Lorraine was organizing a small stack of phone message slips. She stood up, smoothed her skirt over her hips, and walked over to the cubbyholes in the outer office.

Nancy grabbed Ned's hand and his mouth went dry as they snuck across the office, the thick, plush carpet dampening their steps. Nancy turned the knob and Ned followed her into his boss's office. His computer was on, his blinds open.

Ned was having weird flashbacks to helping her on cases when she walked over to the desk and put the file and the paper bag down.

Then she turned to him.

"Here?"

Ned glanced at the clock. Oh fuck, oh fuck, no, they shouldn't do this.

Oh fuck _yes_ , he had wanted to do this longer than he could remember.

When he glanced back she was already sitting at the edge of the desk.

Ned turned the lock on the door and she tilted her head. "Really?"

"Yeah, really," Ned said, matching her smirk with one of his own. He didn't bother with the blinds, just crossed to her in a few swift strides.

"Get your panties off," he said, grasping the hem of her skirt.

"Way ahead of you," she said in a low, sultry voice, and when he shoved her skirt up he saw her garter belt and the garters holding up her stockings and the bare join of her thighs between. He pushed the skirt up above her waist and grasped her knees, pulling her so she was at the edge of the desk, and she set her fingers to his pants. Within a few seconds his cock was free, and she stroked it with a firm flick of her wrist.

He plunged into her and she leaned back, supporting her weight on the heels of her hands. Her breasts heaved under the silky fabric of her shirt and he pushed her jacket down her arms, unbuttoned her shirt, parted it so he could see her quiver under the black lace of her bra. She wrapped her legs around his waist and tossed her hair back, red lips parting as she took another thrust.

"I can't believe we're doing this."

Her eyes fluttered open, lazily. "So the thought of this made you hard, baby?"

He shivered and tugged her bra down, watching her breasts spring free. "God, yeah. Come here."

She shrugged off her jacket, tossing it over the visitor's chair as Ned tugged her behind the desk. He swung her around so she was facing it, away from him, and bent her over the desk; she grasped the other edge for purchase as he lined up their hips and slid inside her again.

Anyone at the right angle could look through the open blinds and see him here, fucking Nancy on his boss's desk.

Ned released a low hiss of pleasure and grasped her breasts, squeezing them a few times before sliding his hand down further. She gasped and her inner flesh clenched tight around his cock as he rubbed her clit. He found his rhythm in her and teased her with hard strokes against her clit, trying to make her come faster. She whimpered, bucking against him, and he thrust into her harder, rougher. The secretary's voice carried faintly through the door and Ned flicked Nancy's clit with his thumbnail. If he couldn't make her come before they were discovered, it was like all this had been for nothing.

Her hips circled and ground against his thrusts and she let out a choked gasp and he was going to lose it. "Ned," she moaned, and the desk shuddered when his legs struck it, and he was going to break the damn thing, he was going to flip her over so he could see her face, see that look of terrible joy—

And then her gasps became low moans and he pushed to the hilt inside her, feeling her clench around him. He rocked against the pulse of her orgasm and she writhed, muffling her cries against her wrist. Her sex was slick silky heat around his, and with one last brush of his thumb over her clit he came, feeling her shudder under him in answer.

He stepped back, sliding out of her, and she collapsed to the desk with a moan. He fell back into his boss's chair, and _God_ , it was so much nicer than his own. He let out a low, satisfied sigh and Nancy rolled over, her skirt still shoved up above her hips and her chest heaving. She was still splayed over the desk and her red-gold hair was tumbled down over the blotter, and he could see teethmarks on her wrist from where she had muffled her orgasm. A few paperclips their activity had managed to dislodge were scattered across the blotter like a jagged trail, the blotter itself at a crazed angle.

He wished he could bottle it, how he felt when she looked like this.

She pushed herself up as Ned swiped a few tissues from the box near the desk. They cleaned themselves up and Ned almost tossed his tissue in the trash before he thought twice about it. The room already smelled like sex.

With a sideways glance Nancy handed him her tissue and he jammed both into the pocket of his dress pants. He put himself back together and watched Nancy pull her bra back up, button her shirt, smooth her skirt down over her hips. Lorraine's voice sounded faintly on the other side of the door, and the chair creaked as she shifted her weight.

Nancy was just reaching for her jacket, and Ned was just starting to wonder how the fuck they were going to make it out unseen when a low, masculine voice came through the door.

_Foster._

Ned's eyes widened as Nancy whipped the jacket back on and quietly unlocked the door. She had just swept up the folder when Foster turned the knob and walked in, mid-word, stopping when he saw there were people in his office.

"Thanks so much," Nancy said to Ned, nodding at the file.

Foster looked between the two of them. "Can I help you?"

"Oh, we're fine now. Just needed to pick this up for Johnson and Ned here was kind enough to help me find it. Thanks!"

She shot him a brilliant smile and swept out before he could say anything else. Lorraine cast a suspicious glare between the two of them, and Ned just gave her a little wave before following Nancy out.

They bypassed the lunchroom, heading for the elevators, and as soon as they were inside Nancy burst into giggles, almost doubled over with it. The color was still high in her cheeks, and her eyes were dancing. Ned leaned against the opposite corner with his hands in his pockets, just watching her. He knew exactly what she looked like, right after sex, and he almost wanted someone else to get on the elevator with them, to see that lazy sensuality that seemed to exude from her when she was like this.

They bought sodas from the vending machine in the lobby and found a park bench, and Ned just shook his head at her when they sat down. "Skin of your teeth," he marveled, accepting the warm plastic container she handed him.

She just giggled again. "God, I can't believe you locked the door."

"I know," Ned sighed. "I don't know what it is but the thought of Lorraine walking in on us, just didn't do it for me."

"We could've played it off." She was grinning when he glanced over at her.

"Maybe next time," he told her.

Her grin became a little smile. "So it was good?"

Ned rolled his eyes. "God, no," he teased her. "Doing it with the blinds open in my boss's office with you sprawled all over the desk begging for it—"

"Yeah, I really was, wasn't I," she drawled, poking at her sandwich.

He smiled. "Maybe tonight."

She took a sip of her soda, leaving a red crescent of lipstick on the can, and licked her lips. " _Definitely_ tonight."


	4. Chapter 4

"Anything in the mail?"

Nancy flipped through the junk mail, half her attention on the stove. Ned came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, then flipped through it himself as Nancy saw the preheat indicator finally turn off. He grabbed a plain cardboard sleeve with a low pleased hiss.

She put the dish in the oven and closed the door, then turned back to him. "Something good?"

He glanced up at her. "We'll see."

All through dinner, Ned looked almost jittery, which meant he was planning something. Nancy kept herself very calm, although anticipation simmered in her belly. There had been a time when they had been good at keeping secrets, when their poker faces had been nearly perfect. But then that wasn't on nights like this.

Nancy cleared the table and placed a large slice of chocolate cake in front of Ned, and he glanced up at her in surprise, already reaching for the plastic wrapping over it. "Where's yours?"

Nancy rubbed her flat belly. "I'm saving my splurge for when I go out with the girls this weekend," she told him. "Although maybe if you're sweet you'll give me a bite."

"Of _Hannah's_ chocolate cake? Hmm. What'll you give me for it?" Ned took a bite, holding Nancy's gaze.

She let out a dramatic sigh, then walked behind him, rubbing his shoulders. "Oh, I don't know. This?" she said, showing him the cardboard sleeve, which she had filched while his attention was elsewhere.

He snatched at it, but she jerked it away, chuckling. In frustration Ned speared a bite of the cake and fed it to her, pulling the sleeve out of her hand while she closed her eyes in bliss at the taste.

Ned sighed when he finished the cake, rising to put the dish in the sink. "Okay, so, this comes really highly recommended. I haven't seen it, though, so I don't know. I know your show comes on tonight, but..." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Nancy chuckled. "I'll make sure it's going to record. Go ahead upstairs, I'll be there in a minute."

When she made it to their room, she had to laugh. Ned was already at least half-naked, the television remote in his hand, the lube already out on the bedside table. She went through her dresser drawer and when she came out of the bathroom a few moments later, she wore a sheer purple babydoll, and only an equally sheer thong underneath.

Ned cast an appreciative gaze at her new outfit as she sauntered to him from across the room. "Lights on?"

"Sure. Lights on."

Nancy propped her pillows up and sat down beside Ned, glancing over just to see him facing her too. "What?" she asked self-consciously.

Ned shrugged. "I don't know." He hit play. "I guess I'm just curious."

"Well, so am I," she admitted, coloring a little. "I don't see what the fascination is."

"So you've done this before."

Nancy shook her head. "No. R-rated movie is as close as... oh, so it just starts out like this?"

Ned glanced at the screen, and then his gaze was riveted there. "Sometimes they like to pretend there's plot, but, yeah."

Nancy wrinkled her nose. "And you watch this a lot?"

"Depends on what you mean by 'a lot.' Is this just an excuse for you to pump me for information?"

Nancy snickered at the turn of phrase, and Ned cast her a withering look. "That meant yes," she told him, fluttering her lashes.

He shrugged.

For a few moments Nancy tried to watch, but she kept accidentally making side comments. When the apparent lead actress slipped out of her clothes and struck a pose, Nancy wrinkled her nose at the woman's deep, unnatural tan and the faded tattoos on her torso. The male lead took his clothes off and Nancy took a long, measured glance at his erection, then glanced over at Ned, who was already glancing over at her.

Nancy burst into giggles.

"If you say a fucking word," Ned cautioned her before turning back to the screen.

Nancy stayed quiet for a few minutes. It was kind of exciting, she had to admit. A little exciting. But she was more curious than anything. And she knew for damn sure that she didn't look so calculating when she and Ned were having sex.

Then the woman flipped around, facing the camera as she mounted the man, and Nancy turned to Ned again. "So _that's_ why you like doing that."

Ned shrugged. "You don't?"

Nancy shrugged back. "It's just... weird that you want to do it because you watch other people do it. Like that."

"It looks hot," Ned defended himself.

"You mean _she_ looks hot. Which she doesn't. She looks like a skank."

Ned let out a long sigh. "You did this just so you could ruin all porn for me."

"Did _not_. But, I mean, hell. _This_ is hot? This is just... there's nothing there. She looks all coked up or something. And she's totally faking it."

Ned turned to her very, very slowly. "And you would know that how."

Nancy patted his hand. "Because women can sense when other women are faking it."

"Bullshit. _You_ fake it?"

Nancy shrugged. "Sometimes. It's just easier."

Ned's brows drew together in an anguished look. "Oh my God." He paused the movie while the blonde woman was rising, her partner's rigid cock still half-sheathed in the shaved join of her thighs. Her mouth was wide, arrested in an exaggerated cry.

"What?" Nancy asked, her eyes wide and innocent.

Ned pulled the covers down. "Look at you. In that. This is supposed to get you hot so we can do it. Maybe give us some ideas. That's it. And now I'm gonna be worried that you're just _faking it_ —"

"You can tell when I come. Can't you?" She tilted her head.

"I thought I could," Ned retorted.

Nancy sighed. "Well, when you're... in me and I get tight and relax..."

"Okay, yeah," Ned said, visibly relieved.

"Most of the time, that's it."

"You've been faking that too?" Ned shook his head.

She glanced up at him, then reached over and kissed him, long and slow and sweet. "You're great," she told him. "Sorry. I didn't mean to get you upset. Let's just keep watching and I'll try to get in the mood..."

Ned glanced at her, incredulous, gesturing at the screen. "That's not getting you wet?"

"It would be if you were helping out," she told him.

Ned accepted the challenge. He hit play and slipped a hand under her nightie, into her panties. She slid down, opening her legs, and as the woman descended onto her partner's cock, Ned pushed two fingers up inside her.

"Like that?"

"Mmm," Nancy murmured, watching the screen. She reached over and found Ned was entirely naked under the covers, already fully aroused, and gently rubbed her fingertips up and down his shaft.

Ned sighed, working a slow rhythm in her, and she mimicked it with the fist around his cock. On screen the man flipped the woman over and Nancy noticed that their bodies were always angled just-right and the camera was always lined up so their actions were obvious. The woman on screen reached down and started stroking her clit, and Ned slipped his thumb up between the slick folds of her sex and stroked Nancy's clit, making a soft, pleased sound when he felt the first weak clench around his fingers.

"But that's not it," he said, glancing over at Nancy.

She shook her head, her brows drawn together in the pleasure of what his fingers were doing to her. "God, that feels good," she murmured, drawing her legs up to give him better access.

On screen, the couple switched positions again, and another man walked in. Nancy watched incredulously as the woman squatted over the man, who held her arms tight behind her, while the other man grasped her hair and led her mouth to his cock.

"Oh, yeah, she would totally look that into it. Bullshit," Nancy said, rocking her hips as Ned fingered her. "You know, I bet if we taped what we were doing right now it wouldn't look this stupid."

Ned's hand stilled entirely. "Do you mean that?"

Nancy moaned in frustration, grinding her hips against him. "What?"

"I mean do you want me to get the camcorder."

Nancy released his cock. "Do you?"

Ned's gaze was ridiculously serious. On screen, the three actors were writhing, slamming into each other. "There isn't a 'yes' that's strong enough."

Nancy looked away. "It's... I mean, I swear to God, if you show this to some guy at work—"

Ned put his hand over his heart. "I swear on my life that we will be the only people to ever see it. I swear."

Nancy glanced up at the screen again. "I... I don't look like her."

"You're _gorgeous,_ " Ned told her. "And it will be so hot. So, so hot. Come on, baby."

"Ned..."

Ned was already half out of bed. "We'll just try it."

As soon as Ned was out of the room, Nancy grabbed the remote, gazing at the screen. She wrinkled her nose and hit the stop button, and the screen turned a glaring blue.

Ned even brought the tripod with him, for fuck's sake. He was still naked, but there was just something ridiculous about it, and she drew her nightgown closer around her as he set up the camera, peering through the viewer to make sure the bed was in the frame.

Then he looked up and saw the expression on her face.

Nancy shook her head. "I..."

"What?" Ned returned, gently. He left the camera and came over to the bed, cupping her face. "This is just us commemorating enjoying each other's bodies..."

She frowned, jerking her chin. "Cut the bullshit."

"Okay, this is us fucking on camera," he said, flushing a little. "What are you worried about?"

"That someone else will see it. Like, it will be a total accident, but we'll be watching the game, and then all the sudden, bam! Scary grainy footage of us... doing it."

Ned shook his head. "Will not happen. Totally will not happen. There will be one copy of it and it will be locked in the drawer with all the toys and when you're out of town on a business trip I'll come up here and put it in and think about how much I want to be in you."

Nancy tilted her head. "Like... instead of whatever we were just watching."

He nodded. "And, I mean, if I'm out of town and you want to put it in..."

She smiled at him, then sat up on her knees and kissed him. "If I'm going to put anything _in_ , it won't be that," she told him, with a wicked grin.

Ned nipped at her. "So do you want to do this? If you don't..."

She shrugged. "I... I like the idea of you watching us instead of someone else," she admitted. "Not getting off on some other blonde bitch you think looks hot."

He gave her a slow grin. "You are so, so jealous, Nancy Drew," he said, chuckling.

She made a face. "Turn the camera on before I change my mind, Nickerson."

He obeyed, and left the lights on, and for a second Nancy felt the urge to check her hair, to see if she needed any makeup, but then Ned walked over to her.

"Forget it's there," he advised her, climbing onto the bed. "Just calm down."

"Maybe I shouldn't calm down," she replied, keeping her voice low so the microphone wouldn't pick it up. "I mean, what's the scenario here?"

"You and me," he told her, reaching for the tie between her breasts. He loosed it and she pushed herself up on her knees to kiss him, slowly. "Just you and me, babe," he murmured against her lips.

She shrugged the gown off her shoulders, the heat of Ned's body radiating against her bare skin, and felt the strange duality of knowing he was watching her, that he would see her like this in a moment outside this one. She pressed herself against him and felt his touch glide down her body, to grasp her ass and push her tighter to him.

She tilted her head, kissing his earlobe. "You want me on top?"

In answer he kept his arm loose around her waist and fell onto his back, and his thumb stroked beneath the edge of her thong. She straddled him and tossed her hair, and arched, tall on her knees, letting her palms drift up and down, over her breasts. He swallowed and the expression in those dark eyes was so enrapt. It used to scare her, a long time ago. This used to scare her.

She leaned down and kissed him, and he hooked his thumbs in the side of her thong and pushed it down a little. Slowly she pulled it off, and then kissed a line down his body, over his nipples, over his abs. She tucked her hair behind her ears and took him into her mouth, slowly, bobbing her head down onto his cock. She felt his fingers slide into her hair and pulled back a little, meeting his eyes. Then she gave him a little smile.

His cock was slick from her mouth when she straddled him again, reversed this time, facing the damn camera. He angled himself for her and she grabbed her breasts, squeezing her nipples for the camera as she did a slow split and—

"Oh," she cried out, shivering, but it was so slow. She bounced up and down on his cock until she was unbearably slick, tightening around him, then pushed off him, maneuvering until she was squatting over him, and as soon as the tip of his cock was in her he grabbed her hands, linking his finger and thumb around her wrists to help her keep balance.

She lowered her hips, slowly, fully, taking him in to the hilt and then rising until the tip of him was just barely seated in the opening of her sex, then descended again. When she tugged he released her arms and she fondled her nipples again, for him, rising and falling in another slow thrust.

Then she slipped her hand between her thighs and found her clit, letting her head tip back as she touched herself, her mouth falling open. Her hips gave a little jerk and Ned groaned under her. "Babe," he sighed, and he pushed himself up to cup her hips, to feel what she was doing. She rocked down again and Ned dug his fingers into her bare flesh, urging her down harder, ghosting his fingertips against her inner thighs.

"Let me hear it," he murmured, and she let out a high sobbing cry, gasping in another on its heels.

Then Ned pushed himself up, pushed his hips up between her legs, thrusting himself fully inside her.

Nancy shivered, touching herself faster. He loved this, loved her doing this, and she flushed as she thought of him watching this, touching himself in response. She writhed and Ned sank and rose again and she met him, and he let out a pleased groan as she first clenched hard around him, slick inner flesh pulsing with the rhythm she traced against her clit.

"Come," he begged, and she grabbed his hip for purchase, her muscles aching as she pushed her hips down to take his cock again. Her hair fell in her face, sticking to her cheeks as she jerked and rolled, undulating over him.

Then he grabbed her. "Keep doing that," he told her as he slid off the bed, and when he moved to the foot she fell forward onto her knees, her hand still working between her thighs. He parted her legs and then her hand was trapped between them as he sheathed himself inside her again, in one brutal thrust, her head tilting back, a low agonized moan escaping her. She circled her clit with a fingertip and the slick heat of her inner flesh constricted around him and he pushed himself inside her hard, his jaw tight. She planted her heels on the bed and rocked against his cock, whimpering, begging him. He arched over her, supporting his weight on the heels of his hands, and she fell back, her shoulders jerking as she began to come, as he pumped wetly between her thighs. She shuddered and cried out his name, flicking her thumbnail over her clit one last time before she let her fingers fall open, numbly, her inner flesh clenching hard around him.

With a long groan Ned collapsed to her, all his weight centered on her hips as he pinned her under him, pulsing inside her. She slipped her arms around him, her teeth glancing against his chest, inhaling the warm masculine scent of him.

Slowly, slowly she came back to herself, their hearts pounding against each other, skin slick where it touched. She nuzzled against him and he chuckled.

Then he jerked back, a little. "You okay? Didn't mean to just lose it there."

She nodded. Her inner thighs were going to be screaming the next day. They had already started.

He pushed himself off her slowly and she groaned a little, pulling her legs back together. Ned slowly made his way over to the camcorder and hit the stop button, and Nancy dragged a hand through her hair, pushing it back. She rolled off the bed, gathering her discarded gown, and stepped into her thong, tossing the gown onto the floor as she slipped under the covers.

Ned joined her, kissing her forehead. "Cold?" he teased her, stroking the side of her thong.

"Yeah," she teased him back, nuzzling against him. Her nipples moved against his chest and she sighed a little. "Can't believe we did that. I should've put a little fake black Sharpie tattoo on my ass."

"Next time?"

Nancy chuckled, brushing her lips against his collarbone. "Hell no. As far as I'm concerned that's all you're getting, babe. Although..."

"Although what?"

She shook her head. "Let me know how it came out."

"Oh come on. Watch it with me."

She pulled back to gaze into his face. "Honey, I would much rather have sex with you than _watch_ myself having sex with you."

Ned pushed her hair behind her ear. "We'll see," he said, his eyes dancing.


	5. Chapter 5

Nancy could distantly hear Bess and George giggling on the other side of the dressing room curtain as she shimmied out of her tight red dress and looked over at the outfit she had selected. Between the three of them they had polished off most of two pitchers of sangria with dinner, and Nancy felt pleasantly hazy, and not a little bit horny. The cousins had gone along with the detour to the sex toy shop willingly. Nancy hadn't explained the game she and Ned were playing, but then, she didn't really have to. She took practically any excuse she could find to buy another cute piece of lingerie for him. Bess and George joked that as soon as Ned rolled off her he set fire to whatever she had been wearing; she almost never wore the same thing twice.

She didn't need to, with two full drawers of nightgowns waiting for her.

The aquamarine slip was ribbon-trimmed and looked almost demure. Nancy gazed at her reflection, pointed her toe behind her ankle, and nodded.

It was the other outfit. Nancy stood in her panties, hands on her hips, and looked at it a long moment before putting it on.

It was a black faux leather bustier, trimmed in black lace and red ribbon. When Nancy put it on her spine straightened, her mouth lost the curve of humor. She turned around and gazed at it, trying to imagine. Shiny black heels. Fishnets. A slash of brilliant red lipstick.

Yes.

She worked her way out of the bustier and back into her dress.

It took a while for her to find the nerve for it. She waited until a night that he had gone out with the guys, when he came back more than a little drunk. She herself had a few glasses of wine while she was getting ready, and when he came in she wore a black satin robe over the new outfit, her hair up, that wicked red lipstick on.

Ned had that slow dreamy friendliness to him, the muzzy deliberation of the alcohol, and when he saw her his eyes slowly lit up. "You look sexy," he told her, sliding an arm clumsily around her waist.

She smiled and touched his mouth. The scent of rum stung the inside of her nose. "Why don't we sit down," she said softly.

He followed her willingly, toying with the sash of her robe. "You wanna show me what's under there, babe?"

"Not yet," she said, shoving gently at his hand to push him away. Ahh, here was the problem, knowing when to flip the switch. She cupped his jaw and when he leaned in for a kiss, she let him. She was half-drunk by the time he pulled back, and with a giggle she swiped the transferred lipstick off his lips.

He kissed her neck. "Mmm," he murmured, nuzzling against her. "Did I say you look sexy?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

He cupped her waist, his knee barely sliding between hers. He didn't bother saying it; she knew what he wanted. When his hand strayed to the join of her robe again, he groaned in disappointment when she pushed him back.

Then she took a long breath and slid her hand into his hair, putting her mouth against his ear.

"Give yourself to me," she whispered.

He nodded and she kissed his neck, his adam's apple, the join of his neck and shoulder. Then she pulled back, smiling at the marked trail she had left on his skin, and met his eyes.

"Go upstairs and wait for me," she told him.

He obeyed her wordlessly and she took the wine back to the kitchen, letting him wait for it. She took the stairs slowly, and when she walked into their room he was sitting on the side of the bed, his shirt off. He stood when she entered.

"Take it off," she told him.

When he deliberately misunderstood her, she put her hand in the center of his chest and pushed him back. He stripped out of his clothes quickly.

"Lie down."

She had debated it, for a while, but she bound him much the same way he had bound her. His ankles were cuffed and she made sure he could only bend his knees slightly, and once he was secure she walked over to the side of the bed and dropped the robe.

Ned's eyes widened as his gaze tracked down and back up, back to meet hers.

She pressed her lips together, studying him through lowered lids. The desire in his eyes was tempered with something that wasn't quite fear, but it was close.

She slid onto the bed next to him and stroked her fingertips down, down his shoulder, over his chest, his hip, down his leg. His cock twitched when her fingers trailed near it. She leaned over him, pressing her mouth to the point of his jaw, his neck, his collarbone. She kissed his nipple, drawing light slow circles over his abs. When she pulled back she ran her fingertips up his arms, against the sensitive underflesh of his forearms.

"Please tell me we're going to have sex."

"One of us is," she told him, and flicked her eyes up to his, a corner of her mouth turning up when she saw his expression. "You're mine, and you do what I want tonight."

Ned swallowed. "I want you."

She nodded, stroking his hip. "Tell me how much you want me."

"So much," he said. "Please."

Slowly, so slowly, she she leaned down until their faces were inches apart. "You'll do anything."

"Yes," he told her.

"You're mine. And you'll do anything to make me happy."

"Yes," he said, and he trembled under her as she lightly dragged her nails over the saddle of flesh at his hip.

She kissed his mouth and for the first time she very gently brushed her fingertips over the tip of his cock, and he quivered. She smiled and pulled back.

She hadn't even bothered putting on panties with the outfit; garter clips held up the fishnet stockings and she had left the shiny patent-leather pumps on the floor. She swung her leg over to straddle him and the heat of his flesh radiated to the bare skin between her thighs, and she slowly, slowly moved forward until she was almost in place.

Then she looked down at him. The join of her thighs was just over his chin.

"I won't touch you until you make me come."

He didn't have the benefit of his hands, but his chin was rough with stubble, and when she straddled him, his tongue found her clit. She pressed down, gripping the headboard, as he sucked and teased the sensitive flesh, and her eyes closed. His teeth glanced over the wet folds and she angled her hips to let him slip his tongue between her thighs. He plunged it in over and over, as hard as he could, and she sighed.

Then he jerked his head back and the point of his chin dragged up between her legs and she let out a low groan. She tilted again and his stubble rubbed against her clit and she tilted her head down, her forehead against the headboard, her lips parted. When she opened her eyes she could see Ned gazing up at her, from between her legs.

Then he rubbed against her again and she arched. She felt warm, and her thighs were trembling a little, and then he sucked her clit into his mouth hard, bit it gently, and she shuddered. Only the thought of what she was about to do to him kept her from giving in to it.

With a sigh she pulled back. "Good try," she told him.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm working from a definite handicap," he pointed out. "If I were on top of you..."

"Maybe later," she told him, and swung off him. She went into the bathroom and came back wearing gloves, carrying a tube of ointment.

She opened the cap of the tube, standing over him, and Ned said the safe word.

Nancy finished squeezing a bit onto her fingertips and looked at him, her eyebrows raised.

"What is that?"

"Some topical medication," she said, making her eyes wide and innocent.

"Which is going to what," he said slowly.

"Which is going to let me ride you as long as I want," she told him. "Consider it punishment."

"How long will this last?"

She shrugged. "It'll wear off. But oh..." She gazed down at his cock. "Oh, it'll be nice."

Once he gave her the okay, she smoothed the ointment onto him, and he tensed. "God, that feels weird," he said. "Oh my God. You are _sure_ this is going to wear off."

She nodded, making sure his entire cock was covered, then stripped the gloves off. She returned with two condoms and rolled those on with deft flicks of her wrist, then straddled him.

She touched the tip of his cock. "Can you feel that?"

He shook his head, his eyes wide.

She leaned over him, on all fours, until their faces were inches apart. "Now you're my own personal sex toy," she told him, a wicked smile on her face. "Do you want me?"

He nodded. "Yeah," he breathed, and she pushed back, unlacing the top half of her bustier. She leaned down and when her nipple touched his lips he sucked it into his mouth, hard. She switched off, letting him suckle her other breast, her inner thighs sprawled at his waist. A tendril of her hair was pulled free and she felt it brush against her cheek, as he sucked a hickey on the underside of her breast.

"Fuck me," he begged, and when she grasped his cock and rubbed the tip against her clit, her brow creased. Her bare breasts were cooling and she pushed her hips down, rubbing her slick inner flesh up and down the underside of his shaft. He let out a soft noise and she pushed herself up, and as she teased him down, she felt him tense under her.

"I can't feel it," he said softly. "God. I can't _feel it._ "

She nodded. "And you can't come," she moaned, her hips circling as she rubbed her clit against him again. Her desire was coiled tight in her belly and she let out a whimpering cry as she fitted him just inside her, then did a slow, shivering split, taking his cock by inches. She rubbed her clit, tossing her head back, and when Ned let out a more distressed groan, she opened her eyes, still rocking against him.

"How— God, Nan."

Her face was flushed and she groaned, leaning forward so her breasts bounced over him, her hips working ever faster, circling and grinding. She let out a cry and touched her clit again, and Ned arched under her, frantic.

"Nan," he begged, watching her touch herself, watching her ride him, hard and fast as she could. She knew the moment when he would normally have broken and it passed, and he was still rock-hard and hot inside her. She pushed off him and rubbed her clit against his shaft again, frantically, and when she took his cock again she barely managed to thrust against him twice before she came. She rocked into him as her inner flesh clenched hard around his cock, releasing only to spasm again, and she rode him, screaming in the pleasure of it, fondling her breasts as her orgasm crested and rose again.

"Oh my God, my _God_ ," she sobbed, jerking against him. "Ned..."

"Nan," he groaned, and when she sank to him finally, boneless and weak after her second climax, he jerked up against her, pounding into her hard. She shuddered as she fumbled for the cuffs, releasing him, and as soon as he could Ned pushed himself up, still thrusting hard into her as he released his legs. With a growl he flipped her over and she sprawled open and trembling on the bed as he fucked her, fast and rough, his desperation showing on his face. Because he couldn't feel it, and he couldn't come.

She came again, distantly, her sex tender and incredibly slick as he slammed into her, and she couldn't think, couldn't breathe. He pushed harder, deeper, and she writhed under him, letting out a low delighted groan of pleasure that only served to infuriate him more. He pinched her nipples and she screamed, and then she felt him pull out.

"Have to—"

She blinked a few times, until her vision cleared, until she could see him. He was working the condoms off, and she shook her head.

"No," she told him softly. "No, don't touch it, it won't help. Here."

He growled in frustration but obeyed as she finally brought herself to her weak legs, leading him to the bathroom. She put her gloves on and carefully pulled the condoms off, then wet a washcloth with warm water and cleaned him off, fully.

Ned was almost shaking with frustration when she was done. "Now?"

She nodded. "It should be okay."

He clasped his cock in his fist, then changed his mind and reached between her legs, slicking his fingers with the proof of her arousal. She watched him pump his cock a few times, but that strained, crazed look didn't leave his face.

"It'll wear off," she told him, unlacing the rest of her bustier. She tossed it onto the dresser, leaving her naked save her stockings.

He shook his head. Then he picked her up and she found herself bent over the footboard, and then he slammed hard between her thighs.

"God," she moaned, flushing again. "God, yes," she begged, her hips jerking against his as he fucked her again, hard. She felt Ned's fingers in her hair and soon it was tumbling down around her shoulders, and she clenched, whimpering.

"I'm going to kill you," he told her, driving into her in a long, brutal thrust. "If this shit doesn't wear off I'm going to take you apart with my bare hands."

"But oh, my God," she whined, her breasts shaking with every thrust, "oh my God this was so worth it. You can't feel it?"

"No," he growled. "And you love it."

She cried out. "Every... oh my God, yes, God, I wish you always lasted this long, oh you feel so good when you're this deep inside me, God, God, baby, I can't wait until you can come..."

"Me either," he said, and lifted her by the hips. She was shaking when she turned to face him, and slowly she pushed her stockings off, leaving her entirely naked.

"Are we going to have to go to the emergency room?"

She shook her head. "Baby, it hasn't even been an hour."

Ned made an incredulous sound. "Feels like four fucking years."

She slid into bed and he followed, both of them naked, her hair spilling in her face. He rolled onto his side and she spooned up behind him, pressed to his chest, her arm slung over him. She let her fingers idly drift down, and found him slowly, idly stroking his cock. She touched his balls and he hissed, grabbing her wrist. She sighed and let her forehead rest between his shoulder blades, relaxing into the calm that followed her release.

She drifted off, and was in the middle of a lazy aimless dream when the mattress shifted. Her eyes fluttered open, and she was sprawled half on her belly, her skin slick where it had been touching Ned's.

Then he grasped her and pulled her up, onto all fours, and she let out a soft groan. He touched her between her legs and she pushed her face into the pillows, flushing.

He slid inside her with a rough groan, and she chuckled.

"Better?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep.

"Uh-huh," Ned replied. He pumped inside her three times and she shivered, sucking in a breath.

Then he came, with a loud relieved sigh, and she let out a cry of disappointment. While he was still hard inside her she reached down and stroked her clit, and when he pulled out of her she flipped over and grabbed his hand, urging it down between her legs.

"That was nowhere near long enough," she complained. "Not after earlier."

"After earlier you're lucky I didn't just jack off in the bathroom," he told her, as he plunged three fingers up inside her, rubbing his thumb against her clit in time with his strokes. She arched and rocked her hips, whimpering as he leaned down. He urged her knees back to her chest, and she reached for him, burying her fingers in his hair as he touched her. He kissed her neck, her shoulder, her breasts, and when she started to come he teased her with slower, gentler caresses, watching her face.

"Open your eyes," he whispered, and she obeyed, panting as he drew out her orgasm. She shook under him, writhing, and her inner flesh went tight around his fingers as he slid them in and out of her.

When she collapsed to the bed, he pulled his fingers out of her. "Okay, we're not doing that again," he said.

"But you're fine."

He shook his head. "It is really creepy, to _know_ that you're touching me but not be able to feel it."

She reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair out of his face, and nodded. "Okay. I'm sorry."

"You'll just have to try something a little different next time."

She grinned. "Hmm. That sounds like a challenge."

"It definitely is," he replied.


	6. Chapter 6

She walked into the bar with her chin up, wearing a green silk camisole tipped in black lace, a tight flounced black skirt, high heels. She wore a delicate silver bracelet around one wrist and she carried a small purse containing just the essentials: some cash, condoms, a small bottle of lube.

He was at the bar among the other twenty-somethings, and the place hummed with activity. Friday night. Groups of girls chattered and scrutinized the room over the rims of their drinks. Guys sat with their gazes locked to the television screens, watching the latest sports recaps. Over it all was a shrill din of voices, laughter, playful shouts.

She saw the martini standing in front of him, the glass slick with condensation. The liquid inside was a brilliant clear blue. It was for her.

She placed her hand on his back, her fingers splayed, and leaned forward, her mouth near his ear. He turned as she murmured, "Cole?"

"Lisa?"

The scent of bourbon radiated from him. She dipped her head, reaching for the martini, deliberately letting her breast brush against his arm. She took a long first sip and the alcohol burned all the way down her throat. "Do you want to get a table?"

He shook his head, after a beat. His collar was open, his tie yanked down a few inches. His eyes were shadowed. "Not really," he said.

The taxi ride was strange. He flagged the cab and they sat on opposite sides of the backseat, and she kept her eyes down, feeling for all the world like their ruse was true. She hadn't seen him since the morning, and after so long, she could feel something like irritation or anger radiating from him, and she couldn't ask him about it. It felt awkward in a way she hadn't experienced since they had first started dating.

The clerk's gaze on Nancy was sharp, but it was sharper on Ned. She felt, absurdly, like making some sign, somehow indicating that it was just a game, but in the end she gave up and followed him to the elevator, conscious of the gaze following them the entire way. Ned was entirely unconcerned about their lack of luggage, or about anything, really. After he pressed the button for their floor, he leaned back in the corner of the car and unbuttoned his cuffs, his gaze idly, slowly making its way down her outfit.

He felt so distant from her, all the more because she had never seen him this way. Usually his warm brown eyes were alight with adoration, desire, tenderness. Now they were calculating, cold, and he had never looked at her this way, not even the first time he had seen her.

She shivered, hugging her stomach.

"My wife's out of town," he told her, and loosed another button at his throat. "And you are gorgeous."

"That's what you asked for," she said, trying for a light tone. He stepped off the elevator and she followed. "Thanks," she shrugged.

In the room he vanished into the bathroom and she looked around, seeing but not seeing it all. She popped a breath mint and crunched it between her teeth, wondering how he would want her when he came out. She sat down on the edge of the bed, her tongue still tingling, and then he stepped out of the bathroom.

She had to admit, he was incredibly handsome, in some ways even more handsome than he had been when they had met. The stubble on his cheeks and chin glistened faintly; he had splashed water on his face. He tossed his jacket over the back of the chair and took her arm, lifting her to her feet.

She put her thumb over his mouth when they were a whisper apart. "I think we have something to settle," she said, her lashes low over her blue eyes.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, sorting out a number of bills. He spread them on the dresser, where she could see them, and left his wallet there with them. She glanced back at him to see an almost sardonic expression in his eyes.

For the first time since their game had begun she felt the urge to utter the safe word, but she shook her head. She was being ridiculous. He hadn't even really touched her yet.

It was just the terrible weight in her belly, the sensation of seeing-but-not-seeing.

He crossed to her and buried his face against her neck, touching her waist. He found the zipper of her skirt and pulled it down, then shoved it past her hips. "What's on the menu," he murmured into her skin, catching the hem of her cami in his fingers.

She glanced at the money on the dresser. Never let it be said that she didn't do her research. "Depends on how much more money you have with you."

"Let's start with a blow job," he said, and stepped back.

She reached for her purse and selected a condom with some ostensible flavor to it, then turned back to him. He was just waiting, his shirt gapped open to reveal his undershirt, and when she unfastened his pants, slipped them and his boxers down, he sat down on the foot of the bed.

Part of the appeal had been the power, the control. He had paid for her; now she was his, but only to the letter. He could have her but he wouldn't have her.

And she could have him, but she wouldn't really have _him_ , she saw now. He was playing a role, just as she was.

She sank to her knees and he parted his, and she rolled the condom on swiftly. Before she began she gently cupped his balls, then leaned down, tasting fake cherry as she swirled her tongue around the tip of his cock.

She made the session long, taking her time with him. She was careful to keep her teeth from glancing over his sensitive skin, and the crown of her head brushed his belly as she bobbed down onto his cock. The tip glanced over the back of her tongue and against her throat, and she felt a hot wet tear against her lashes. She dashed it impatiently, and Ned let out a soft groan above her.

"That's it, that's right," he said encouragingly, and she felt his fingers on her hair.

He was paying her. He was paying her to do this to him. She let out a soft moan that vibrated against his cock and his fingers tightened against her scalp, and oh, oh God.

She pulled back to take a breath and then he was against her throat and she gently teased his balls, mentally begging for him to just come, God, please.

He forced her down, firmly but not roughly, and she almost choked and then he came, her tongue sliding against him through the thin condom. His fingers tightened a little more and then he released her, and with an inaudible whispered thanks she pulled back, sliding the condom off and rising to her feet to discard it.

When she came back his pants and boxers had joined his jacket, and he was pulling his shirt off. He stripped off the undershirt and then gave her a look. "Come on," he said, gesturing at her clothes.

She reached for the hem of her cami. "Slowly," he said, and she took a breath and obeyed, inching her shirt up. The strapless bra came next, then the lace thong.

"That was good."

She tried for something smart, dry, but that distance was in his gaze again. Her own fell to her red-painted toenails. "Thanks," she said softly.

It hadn't been like this, the first time they'd had sex, the second, the twentieth. He had never made her feel like an object, like something warm to get inside. And this domination was more infuriating than any other.

She walked over to the other bed and he didn't stop her, and she emptied her purse onto the bedside table. She pulled back the covers and slipped beneath, shivering a little, and watched him sprawl over the covers on the other bed, sated and loose.

"Something to drink?"

She shook her head and then, suddenly, she was dying for it. She wanted something to keep her from knowing, from feeling any of it, but there was no minibar and she didn't want champagne.

She wanted him to look at her and call her by her name.

She was drifting slowly when the springs creaked under him, and he crossed to her. "Lisa," he said softly.

"Yes," she murmured, and blinked lazily at him once before she was back in that other skin.

He pulled the covers back, and she shivered once when the cooler air hit her flesh. "On your knees," he said softly, and she watched him reach for the lube, another condom.

She didn't have to ask; she rolled over onto her stomach and when he slid onto the bed she pushed herself to all fours. Her makeup was probably a mess, and she was aching for his touch, his real touch.

He took it slow, for her, to prepare her. The lube was warm from his fingers as he slowly touched her ass, and she bowed her head, focusing on her breathing. He touched her, stroked her, until the moment she jerked back against him.

Then she felt him, the head of his cock butting against her ass, and she let out a slow breath, only to suck one back in as he just barely pressed inside her. Over the condom he was slick with lube but she just felt it as a pressure, a tightness. He moved back and thrust gently, and she sighed. Normally he would touch her now, slip his hand up between her legs, but she was his—

_whore, she was his whore_

—tonight and it didn't matter if she got off, didn't matter at all.

It lasted a long time, so long, until she felt sore, until she was almost mechanically rocking against him. The act wasn't nearly enough to make her come, but she could hear him panting behind her, making soft pleased groans, and she tightened against him, her lips twisting in a small humorless smile as he moaned in answer.

"God," he muttered, and she let out a soft cry as he pushed himself even deeper. He pulled out of her and she heard him slip off the condom and finish himself behind her. Trembling, she slid down to the bed, then rolled onto her side, curling up in the fetal position.

A door closed.

Almost immediately she sat up, and when she confirmed he was in the bathroom she reached for her clothes. She winced when she tugged the thong on, and almost considered leaving it off. She put her hair up in a loose ponytail and took the money, leaving the paraphernalia on the bedside table.

She had the door open when he opened the bathroom door. At a glance she knew he was naked. "Babe?" he asked in confusion.

She shook her head, almost afraid he would try to touch her.

"Nan? What's wrong—"

The door closed behind her and she took the stairs, trembling, clutching the rail the entire way.

\--

Ned had to take a fucking cab home, which irritated him to no end because his car would sit there all night. He had grabbed a last drink on the way out, and tossed it back while calling Nancy's cell and getting angrier by degrees every time his call went to her voicemail.

When he came inside, he called for her, but she didn't answer. The lights were on in the hall, on the stairwell, and, he found, in their room. The clothes she had worn were in a pile near the hamper. The bathroom door was closed.

He tried the knob. His fingers slipped off.

Ned went cold. She didn't lock doors around him. There had been one time, she had been really sick, and she just didn't want him to come in and get nervous about her—and when she had finally relented and let him in, he had immediately picked her up and taken her to the hospital. It had been a case, another damn case, and the thief had tried to make her sick to get her off his trail.

Ned pounded on the door. "Nan!"

She didn't say anything for a second, but he could hear the water running. Usually by now he would be naked, slipping into the shower with her.

"Be out in a minute," she called back, and her voice didn't sound right.

Ned paced for a minute, glancing at the door. He dumped everything she had left behind, the condoms and lube, in the bedside table's drawer, then took his jacket off.

When she still didn't emerge he went down to the guest bathroom and splashed cold water on his face, shivering at the sensation, savagely rubbing at his cheeks with the hand towel.

She was just coming out of the bathroom when he went back into their room, and their eyes met. She was dressed in one of his thin white undershirts, but he could see her bra through it, and she had dug out a ragged pair of flannel shorts to wear. She never wore a bra to bed.

She was wearing her ring, though, and his was back on.

"What the fuck, babe."

She sat down on the edge of the bed and didn't say anything. Her red-gold hair fell in damp ripples down her back, and she looked down.

The role, their playing, was gone, but he still felt the urge to _make_ her talk. It had always been hard as hell for her to say what was going on in her head; he wasn't sure why he had thought marriage would change that.

"Nan," he said, and when she looked up tears were standing in her eyes.

His anger was washed away in an icy wave of fear. "What is it," he said, falling to his knees in front of her. "Are you hurt? Did something happen?"

She took a shivering breath, and he could count the number of times he had seen her cry on his fingers. The sight made him feel like the worst person in the world.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"About what?"

She rubbed impatiently at her eyes. She hated crying. "I... I know it was on my list but I didn't think it would be like that. I mean—had you—have you ever done that..."

Her blue eyes rose to his face and he caught her meaning and shook his head vigorously. He knew there were things in her past that she had never told him about, that they had been apart sometimes, but he knew he had been her first, and she his. There had been other girls but none like her, not for him.

She blinked and her eyes dropped. "It was like... you weren't... I thought maybe you were like that with someone else..."

He shook his head again. "No. No. Just... what I'd seen in movies. Whatever. Is that what was bothering you? Why didn't you—"

She shook her head, and her gaze rose again. "I... every time we've ever made love, we were _making love._ I never... I never doubted that you loved me. And then, it was like I didn't know you, like you weren't... _God,_ " she whispered, and buried her face in her hands.

He touched her hands, and his heart sank, his stomach tightened when she moved away from him. "I thought that was what you wanted," he said softly. "Baby, why didn't you say the word."

She shook her head. "I don't know. I don't know." She took a deep breath. "Maybe this was a bad idea. I thought... I don't know. I thought it would be different."

He shook his head, and he wanted to touch her, but he was afraid she would pull away again. "I love you, baby."

She gave him a small, trembling smile. "I'm really tired," she said. "I'm sure I'll feel better in the morning."

She crawled into bed, and Ned stood, slowly stripping his clothes off. He took a quick shower, and when he came out of the bathroom she was on her side, curled up, and he couldn't quite tell if she was asleep.

He went downstairs and turned on the television, but nothing held his attention. He spun his ring on his finger, started his game system, and played until his eyes were blurring and his fingers were numb. He could feel her upstairs, and when he finally made his way into their bedroom, clumsy with exhaustion, she didn't move.

He slid into bed very carefully, next to her. Part of him wondered if she wanted him to sleep somewhere else, if she didn't want him anywhere near her, if she would shrink back if he touched her again.

He hadn't known. He felt like shit but he hadn't known and she hadn't said anything and, _God._

In his sleep he turned onto his side, facing but never quite touching her.

When the light hit him in the morning, when Nancy rolled over next to him and slipped out of bed, he went downstairs. He sent her back upstairs when she came down, their hair rumpled, clothes wrinkled, eyes shining with exhaustion. He returned to their bedroom a few minutes later with a tray, toast and scrambled eggs and bacon, and cups of coffee.

She smiled at the plate, then up at him. "Thanks."

He shrugged, taking his own plate and mug of coffee, but he was smiling too.

When he was finished he took the remains of their meal and the tray and put it on the dresser, and slipped back into bed with her. She nestled into him when he slid toward her, and he smiled, stroking her hair back.

From there it wasn't quite intentional. The coffee wasn't enough to really break his exhaustion, but he couldn't quite go back to sleep either. He kept stroking up and down her side, and then she stretched under him, and his hand slipped to her belly. She made a soft noise and rolled onto her back, and he felt the flannel shorts, warmed by her skin.

He opened his eyes lazily, hand snaking under her shirt, pushing it up. He pushed her bra up with it and gently kissed her nipples, the baby-soft skin tightening under the brush of his lips. He lavished her breasts, teasing her nipples with his tongue, gently suckling until she moved restlessly under him, her hips seeking contact.

He trailed kisses down, over her sides, her belly button. He kept going down, over her clothes, and breathed on her through her shorts and panties, and she let out a soft moan. He took her shorts down slowly, and she sucked in a breath as he kissed her inner thighs.

When she was still in her panties he looked up and she stripped the shirt off, unfastened her bra and tossed it to the floor. He crawled over her until they were nose to nose, and all he could see was her blue eyes staring up at him.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she replied, and he kissed her, and she tasted like coffee. With a soft groan he slipped his knee between hers and she parted her legs obediently, grinding against him a little.

"I'm sorry, baby..."

She ran her fingers through his hair. "It's okay," she whispered.

"Just... just promise you'll tell me, if anything like that happens again."

She nodded, and he felt her knee brush against his hip. "I will," she murmured.

He made his way even more slowly this time, until she was digging her fingertips into his shoulder blades, urging him on. He peeled her panties down and pressed his tongue between her thighs, and she let out a little whimper, tilting her head back. He stroked her up and down, back and forth, her slick flesh hot against his tongue, until her thighs were trembling, her head whipping back and forth on the pillow. He thrust two fingers up between her thighs and moved them in and out of her, and she shivered under him, letting out a gasping cry as he licked her clit.

"Ned," she cried out, tilting her hips back. He teased, suckled, stroked her clit and she moaned, her fingers threading through his hair. Her hips circled as he pressed his fingers against the sensitive flesh, over and over, and when he pulled back, rubbing her clit with his thumb in the absence of his mouth, the color in her cheeks was high and she looked desperate.

He positioned himself over her, stroking her one last time, then pushed his boxers down and fitted the tip of his cock inside her. She slid her legs around him, pressing against the small of his back to urge him closer, and she released a strangled sob as he brushed his thumb over her clit again, just before he sank into her.

She was silky liquid heat around him, and he slipped into her with one smooth thrust, groaning. The taste of her was on his tongue and she slipped her arms around him, her breath warm against his chest as he built a slow rhythm inside her.

"Ned," she whispered, and then she let out a high whimper, pushing up against him in return. He felt her inner flesh clench and she circled her hips, their skin damp with sweat, and he shifted his angle and she cried out, pulling him closer.

He lost himself, then, lost himself in the feel of her coming apart underneath him, the way they trembled when they met, their bodies tangled and straining against each other. He held out as long as he could, until she was sobbing in pleasure under him, and then he pushed as deep as he could inside her and let himself come. She spasmed around him, tensed and moaning under him, and when he collapsed to her her legs fell loose and she ran her fingers through his hair, sighing.

"What happened yesterday," she whispered.

He took a breath and pushed himself back, to look into her eyes, and they were still joined. "I..."

"No," she said softly, and cupped his cheek in her hand. "Before I even saw you. You know, it killed me, not even being able to ask you about your day."

He smiled. "That's... heh."

"So." She let her fingertips drift down his neck.

"So Martin was an ass, and the project I've been working on for like a week and a half, I told you about that—"

"Yeah," she said, nodding, and smiled.

"Yeah, that project? Well, Andrew was working on the other half, and then he's downloading porn or whatever the fuck so his part of it was corrupted, and... and how was your day, Nan."

She giggled, and he loved the way she looked, like this. "I don't know," she said, slowly. "I mean, I was at work all day, thinking about this amazing guy and how awesome he was going to be in the sack... and then I woke up this morning and it was everything I thought it would be."

He rubbed the tip of his nose against hers. "Good," he said softly.

She slipped her arms around him and pulled him close. "I love you," she said softly. "Thank you."

He put his mouth against her ear and smiled when she shivered under him. "Anytime," he said huskily.


	7. Chapter 7

Ned walked in with a dozen roses. Nancy glanced up at him, turning the heat down on the back eye of the stove, a ruffled half-apron tied over her pencil skirt, her thumb in her mouth as she licked a bead of condensation off.

Her face fell. "Oh no."

Ned looked down, still proffering the roses as Nancy found the vase and filled it with water. "I'm sorry."

She tipped the plant food into the water and arranged the flowers. "Well, it's not the end of the world."

Ned rolled his eyes, sliding his arms around her. He kissed her temple. "Yeah, it'll be _awesome_. Because I literally cannot wait to spend another weekend with my parents."

"They aren't so bad."

Ned sighed. "I know. I just really liked the idea of getting you up there, all to myself."

She turned around in his arms, grinning. "And what exactly did you have in mind, Mr. Nickerson."

"Well, there's that rug in front of the fireplace... although I guess now that's out of the question."

She brushed a kiss over his cheek. "Leave it to me," she advised him.

Ned's parents' lake house had been the holy grail when they were in high school. _If only_ , they used to daydream, _if only they could get the key, could find a good excuse, they could have the whole weekend to themselves._

She had visited with his family, when they had very definitely been in separate bedrooms. It wasn't until his senior year at college that he had... not quite invented a mythical party, that had turned into just the two of them. Then there had been the string of break-ins and Nancy had started investigating, and, due to the sheer amount of property damage that had been done, the new rule was that Nancy and Ned couldn't be up at the cabin unsupervised.

She was pretty sure that his parents had— well, not quite forgotten, but had been willing to trust them again. Ned just hadn't been able to remember exactly which weekend it was when he had scheduled with them, and they had already planned on going up there, just as Nancy and Ned had.

She wouldn't admit it, not to him, but she kind of liked the idea, of being very good around his parents. They were married, so they would have their own bedroom, but he had never liked the idea of his parents walking in on them.

She had an idea about that, too.

They drove separately from his parents, and the traffic was slow that Friday afternoon. They put the top down on the car and blared the classic rock station over the cacophony of car horns and squealing brakes.

"We gonna leave the cell phones in the car this weekend?" Nancy asked, stretching lazily. She wore a thin green sundress, and Ned looked cool and casual in khaki shorts and a faded band t-shirt.

He adjusted his sunglasses, and she put an exaggerated arch into her back, giggling at his direct stare. "Yeah, I would say yes, but I can't count the number of times your lack of cell phone has bitten me in the ass, so..."

"So just no work calls," she suggested, adjusting her own sunglasses. She dug in her purse for her spare lipgloss.

"You mean while we're not playing marathon games of Scrabble."

She patted his arm. "It's okay," she said. "What's really got you upset?"

He shrugged. "I just... I don't know. I know you're disappointed."

She shook her head, her eyes sparkling. "I mean, a little," she admitted. "And we could just come again later but this is the last real weekend of the summer... but, anyway, it's been a long time since we've had to sneak around and we couldn't just rip each other's clothes off in the middle of the kitchen—"

Ned released a low growl. "And if you keep talking about it, we'll just pull over and they'll never know..."

She laughed. "I like anticipation," she told him.

"No shit," he commented. "Anticipation and mysteries and being teased for fucking _hours_."

She ran her fingertips up and down his arm, lightly, keeping her gaze down. "So, tomorrow, let's have a picnic."

Ned raised an eyebrow. "What's the catch?"

She fluttered her eyelashes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, like, 'a picnic while keeping some guy under surveillance,' or 'a picnic/stakeout,' or..."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek, then swiped the trace of gloss off his skin. "I mean like a picnic," she said. "With something... special for dessert."

"Please tell me Hannah sent some chocolate cake with you."

She moved over to the other side of the car, shooting a mock glare in his direction. "Really?"

"I'm teasing," he said, then waited a beat. "A little."

The Scrabble game was already out on the table when Nancy and Ned walked in. Ned jerked his chin at it and rolled his eyes. Nancy rolled hers back, smoothing her sundress down over her waist as she headed for the kitchen.

"Nancy! So good to see you," Edith said, giving her daughter-in-law a brief hug. "Ned?"

"He insisted that he could handle the luggage all by himself," Nancy said with a dramatic sigh. "So he'll be here in a second. On that note, want us to head over to the grocery store and pick up some snacks? Since he'll eat all of them."

Edith chuckled. "Sure. Let me send a list with you, if you don't mind."

Nancy looked around, swallowing hard. Best to just get it out of the way. "Wow, the place looks great."

Edith nodded. "You can barely tell," she said, gesturing to the wall above the fireplace, then shot Nancy a sideways glance. "And it's okay, really. The insurance picked up almost all of it."

"I still feel terrible about it."

Edith shrugged. "Gave me a chance to redecorate," she said, her eyes sparkling. "So I can't complain that much."

Then James shanghaied Ned into helping him with a leak in the storage shed out back, and Nancy took the list and the car and headed to the grocery store. When she returned with the supplies, Ned almost bounded off the porch toward her before the car was even at a complete stop.

"Scrabble?" Nancy asked, swinging her legs out of the car.

Ned nodded in mock misery. "And Dad and I are going fishing tomorrow. So, maybe we can have the picnic at lunch?"

Nancy nodded. "Sure. Sounds great."

They finished putting the groceries away, and Nancy heard the television come on in the other room, the strident voice of a sports announcer. Edith chastised James for leaving the game, and as he protested that Ned wasn't back yet, Nancy drew Ned into the mudroom at the back of the house.

"Hmm?"

She stood on her tiptoes and drew him down to her for a kiss, giggling as he boosted her against the back wall, against the coats, rich with the scent of aftershave and fallen leaves and earth. They kissed hard, her hands fisting in his shirt, and when he pulled back, his brown eyes were warm with desire.

He sighed and put her back down. "And this is when you tell me..."

"That we'll wait until tomorrow," she finished, smoothing the front of his shirt.

Ned leaned down, kissing her neck. "You sure?"

"I'm sure," she said, giggling, and pushed him back. "Come on. Let's get back in there."

Ned just didn't see it the way she did. He had Edith. His mother was still alive, and she loved him, and maybe she wanted to play Scrabble and bond, but, after all, they weren't able to come by and see Ned's parents nearly enough. Ned and his father easily discussed the sports recaps, acting disgusted over performance and bad calls, while Edith smiled indulgently at them and rearranged her tiles, then played a wicked triple-word-score that left them all at least fifty points behind.

After his parents went to bed, Ned hooked them a couple of beers and they went out on the back porch, then to the side. The wraparound porch offered a great view of the lake, glimmering through the trees.

"We're okay."

Nancy got up and pushed her seat up close to Ned's, then sat down beside him. "Yeah, we're okay."

He smiled. "I had an idea... for next time. But you have to promise that you will tell me if you're... not cool."

"I did," she said softly.

"Just to make me feel better."

"I promise," she told him, leaning over to give him a kiss. He tasted like beer, and when his hand slipped up over her dress, she let him cop a feel without protesting. The light in the neighbors' place wasn't on and Ned's parents were on the other side of the cabin, and she sighed when his thumb glanced over her nipple.

"Good try," she told him, moving back, even though her breast tingled.

"I know you are all about anticipation," he said, and she had to force herself to squirm away as he cupped her other breast, "but they're asleep and we're alone and you, honey, are gorgeous."

She grinned. "Tell me more."

He kissed her neck. "What do you really want, baby," he said softly. "I mean really want."

"Number eight," she replied.

He chuckled into her skin. "Okay," he murmured.

Nancy waited for Ned for what felt like the entire morning. She and Edith watched a rerun of one of Edith's favorite shows, and they assembled the picnic lunch together, and Edith packed a few heavy quilts. When Nancy heard the sound of wheels against the path outside she raced to the porch, and Ned had barely been out of the car ten seconds when she was launching herself into his arms.

Ned chuckled, holding her tight. "I like this welcome," he told her, and put her down. "And I'm famished."

"Why don't you go change your clothes and I'll see if I can take care of that," she told him, her eyes innocently wide.

Ned extended his arms, looking down at his outfit in feigned protest. "Can't possibly imagine why."

They took the basket and walked together, for a few miles, until Nancy led him off the path. They found a clearing and a stretch of sand, and enough trees to provide shade from the noon sun. He helped her spread the blankets and they took out the chicken salad, potato salad, rolls, and sodas.

When Ned settled back after lunch, he rubbed his belly in contentment.

"So, have a good morning?"

"Yeah," Ned replied. "I'm sure we'll grill out tonight. Maybe Mom will make some of her cornbread." He made a delighted humming sound.

"You're impossible," she told him, then rested her head on his shoulder. Above them the sky was a pure blue, with loose cottony clouds drifting far aloft.

"So what's dessert?" Ned asked, and his hand found her breast, cupping through the thin fabric of her dress.

She chuckled. "We still need a few minutes."

"I am really full," he said.

"And I'd hate for you to come down with a muscle cramp," she said, pitching her voice suggestively low.

"You know, between us, I think we could come up with a few ways to make sure that didn't happen."

"Yeah. By resting a little longer," she said, and moved his hand down onto her belly, then cupped hers over his.

When the sun and her full belly had her almost drowsy, her skin warmed, she sat up and reached for the hem of her dress. Ned made an inquisitive noise, watching with clear interest as she pulled her dress off, revealing a hot pink bikini underneath.

"You didn't tell me to bring trunks," he said mildly, toying with the tie at her hip.

"Damn," she replied with the same tone, pushing herself to her feet. "Guess you'll just have to take _all_ your clothes off."

Just in case, she put the blankets and the picnic basket together in the shade, and Ned put his clothes and her dress with the blankets. He looked down for a second, then shoved his underwear off.

She grinned. "Race you."

In the water, she swam as hard and fast as she could, glancing back at Ned to see how close he was. At the opposite bank, a family was playing, a pair of little girls stumbling through the sand playing tag. She swam out past her height, and there he caught her, their heads alone bobbing above the water.

Ned laughed and pushed his wet hair out of his face. "How about this time no unfair head start," he told her.

"Sure," she said, just in time for him to duck under the water, pushing back toward the shore. Nancy let out an outraged cry, then followed.

It was in the shallows, among the reeds, that he caught her, when the water felt great against her exercise-warmed limbs. He pulled her into his arms, her back to his chest, and as his fingertips began to work under the fabric of the cups covering her breasts, she reached behind her neck and untied her top.

"Well, that works too," he said, kissing the place where her top had been knotted, and she finished untying the back and he cupped her breasts. She knotted all the strings together, looping the top over her arm as she sighed, tilting her head back. Her nipples were already tight from the chill in the water, and he gently squeezed her breasts, drawing his fingers together to pluck at the sensitive tips.

She moaned and her fingers made quick work of the ties at her hips. She pulled the fabric between her legs and she was naked, and he was naked against her, and his hand drifted down. He kissed her shoulder as he cupped his hand between her legs, and she lifted her knees, trying to keep a grip on her swimsuit as she arched against him.

"Come on," she urged him, grabbing his hand and leading him toward the shore.

"What?"

She turned around, the tops of her breasts above the water, and her eyes sparkled at him. "What," she replied, taking a step backward, and now they were fully bare, gleaming. His gaze immediately dropped down. "No one can see us," she said. "Or is that the problem."

Ned shook his head. "You don't want to, just... in the water..."

She shook her head. "It's nasty," she said. "Who knows what's in there, and besides, it's bad for women to have sex in water."

"And the shower, huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "That's different," she said, taking another step, and her belly button was above the water now. A few more and she was naked, standing on shore, her hair streaming wet down her back.

"Come on," she said, her voice pitched low, seductive.

By the time he reached her she was almost finished spreading one of the quilts, her bikini hung from a tree branch to dry. He picked her up and sank to his knees, placing her gently on the blanket, and she giggled at him, then reached for a towel. They rubbed off the lake water with brisk strokes, and she quickly towel-dried her hair, then leaned back on her elbows, her gaze on him, one knee bent in invitation. "It's bad," he said quietly, gazing down at her, "that a little part of me _wants_ someone to see us."

"Which is exactly why that fucking tape will end up on the internet," she said, running her fingers through his hair.

He shook his head, and she brought her knees up, stroking against his hips. "I promised."

"Plus, out here, we can be loud."

"So some hiking teenagers can find us here," Ned said, pushing his hips to hers.

Nancy rolled her eyes. She didn't want it, not really—but the thought of getting caught did make her a little wet, like it had when they were together in his office.

She wasn't sure how it happened, but she ended up on top, and when she pushed herself up the sunlight turned her breasts golden and Ned was gazing up at her in rapture. "God, you're so fucking beautiful," he panted, as she circled her hips.

She tossed her hair back, closing her eyes, and gasped when he pushed his thumb between her legs and found her clit. The hard, hot length of him filled her sex as she slid her knees apart, her hips jerking as she took him to the hilt, and the ball of his thumb rubbed against her clit and she sobbed out in delight, shifting up so she could bounce up and down on his cock.

"God," Ned groaned, pinching her clit. When her inner flesh went tight against him, and she clenched hard, sliding up his cock, he growled in frustration. He pushed his knees up and grabbed her ankles, sliding her forward, and she let out a loud cry as his angle changed inside her. She let her weight shift and put her hands behind her, supporting her weight as Ned pushed himself up the same way.

"Mmm," she murmured, rocking down onto his cock, and when she pulled back he thrust his hips. They found their rhythm and she let her head fall back, gasping for breath as the angle let her rub her clit against him.

It took forever and it took no time at all. The sunlight, the breeze, the laughter carried from the other side of the lake, the distant thrum of motorboats, and the insistence of Ned's thrusts, the trembling in their hips, all of it. If anyone did suddenly plunge through the trees there would be no disguising of what they were doing; the other blanket was out of her armspan.

When Ned let himself fall back she took over again, riding him with rough quick thrusts. He grasped her breasts, found her clit again, and she cried out, her inner flesh spasming around him. She collapsed to him, her hips circling, and he was almost impossibly thick and deep inside her, and then he came.

He touched her ass and she jerked against him. "Mmm," she sighed, her head against his shoulder.

"So that was dessert."

"Mostly," she drawled, and brushed her thumb over his nipple. He growled and captured her hand. "The only way I could be more spot on is for us to have the drink with us."

"Mmm," Ned agreed. "You didn't want to wait until the ocean."

"Make you a deal," she said, leaning back to look into his eyes. "Next time we go to the Hamptons, we'll try this again. Okay?"

He nodded, pushing a dry tendril of her hair back. "Although this was pretty damn hot," he told her.

She pouted. "Only pretty, huh."

"Incredibly," he amended, drawing her down for a kiss. "And if I wasn't worried about my parents sending a search party after us, I'd vote that we wait until we could go another round."

"Or we could anyway," she suggested, wickedly.

Ned shuddered. "No. No, thanks."

They untangled and she handed Ned his clothes. "So, there's this other thing, but it would go a lot better tonight when we're in our room..."

"And we will be quiet," he said, and it wasn't a question.

Nancy nodded. "But when we get back you'd better take a shower, because I _really_ don't think lake water and body chocolate would taste very good together..."

Ned laughed. "Dessert."

"Yeah. So save some room."

She had just pulled her sundress back over her head when he looped his arms around her waist. "Or maybe they'll have to go out this afternoon and we can take a little 'nap'..."

"And then your mom knocks on our door to ask if you want a snack and you're licking chocolate off my—"

"Good point." He kissed her hard. "Okay, tonight. And I'm gonna hold you to it."

"I hope you do," she said, her voice pitched low, and then giggled.


	8. Chapter 8

_Go ahead and grab a table. I'll be right there._

Nancy glanced at her cell and put it away as she pushed open the door to the bar. It was trendy, almost a little too trendy for her tastes. The low light hid the patrons' minor flaws, the bar was backlit, and clusters of small tables were surrounded by chattering young professionals throwing back a few before heading to the club.

It wasn't the same place she had met him as Lisa, which was good. Things were fine between them; she didn't even know how many times they'd had sex since. But the thought of that night still made her stomach flip a little, and not in a good way.

Nancy shrugged out of her peacoat, draping it over the back of a free chair at an unoccupied table. The coat was barely too hot for the evening, but the crisp bite of fall was in the air and she wore a gleaming sleeveless satin top, a tiered skirt, and high heels. Leaving her coat to claim her chair in the crowded bar, she went over to the bartender to order a martini.

She had texted Ned to ask what the holdup was, and her second martini was sending a hard flush to her cheeks, when a dark-haired man slid into the seat across from her. The welcoming smile on her face faded when the man glanced up, and she saw that he wasn't Ned.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," she said, and lifted her hand, spreading her fingers, making sure he could see her wedding ring.

He glanced at it and gave her a little nod. "My name's Seth. What's yours?"

He extended his hand and she glanced down at it, bemused. "Nancy. And I have a very jealous husband. What exactly can I do for you?"

She wasn't sure why, but something about his manner, the way he glanced around the room, made her almost wish that he was about to tell her about a case. They shook and he took a long sip of his drink.

"Waiting for my date," he explained. "And you looked so gorgeous just sitting over here by yourself that I thought we could keep each other company."

"Well, he'll be here soon..."

"And so will my girlfriend," he said, and finished his drink. "No harm, no foul."

As he attempted to flag down the waitress for another round, Nancy looked him over carefully. No wedding band or pale ring where one would have been. His stubble was shaped just-so and she would almost have pegged him as a player—but something in his eyes made her think that he was really a romantic.

Nancy shook her head, cutting off her train of thought. Didn't matter. Whoever Seth was, she wouldn't be getting to know him. Not unless his girlfriend staggered in and started narrating an attempted murder.

Nancy couldn't help herself. She perked up a little at that thought.

"So what do you do, Nancy?"

Another martini later, Nancy had to admit that Seth was good at this, the effortless small talk that could so easily slide into seduction. The supposed girlfriend hadn't yet made an appearance, and he had Nancy laughing. That, or it was the martinis. She wasn't exactly sure.

She kept frowning in annoyance at her cell phone. Surely Ned was close. She could practically feel him. But every time she glanced around the room, she was disappointed again.

"You know, I've seen you around. Me and my friends." Seth turned his glass in his fingers, widening the wet ring on the tabletop. "You are really, really gorgeous."

"Thanks," Nancy said, blushing a little. "I can't remember seeing you, though."

He glanced up and their eyes caught. Nancy couldn't remember the last time she had actually done this, the last time a man other than Ned had so shamelessly flirted with her. It was a little exhilarating, really. Even though she'd never do anything with this guy, his naked admiration was definitely a stroke to her ego.

"Why would you? But you—it's like you have a damn light inside you."

Her cheeks warmed a little more, and she covered by taking a sip of her water. "And you have a girlfriend," she reminded him. If that even was true.

Seth shook his head sadly. "Well, let me tell you. If you were free? I'd dump her in a minute."

"Which makes you excellent boyfriend material," she told him dryly, with a wink.

Seth chuckled. "I know, I know. But what do you say, if they don't show in the next, like, ten minutes," he said, glancing at his watch, "we get out of here and do something fun."

"If my husband," she said, putting a slight emphasis on the word, "doesn't get here in ten minutes, I'm going to track his cell phone and figure out where he is."

"Ahh. Think he's hanging out with some other girl?"

Nancy shook her head. Her hair felt like warm weight down her back. She raked it back and clasped it loosely in a fist, then let it go. "He wouldn't."

"And you? Super happy? Definitely never ever under any circumstance would want to just take a little break for a night?"

Nancy tilted her head, and something clicked. "Depends," she said, faintly.

There was no code word for this. Just her intuition. Just her persistent feeling that Ned was near.

"Because, I know, I have a girlfriend and everything, but I have this friend... and boy, I tell you. He just got out of a long relationship and he has been watching you— not in a creepy way," Seth said quickly. "I just mean he's noticed you, and he's got a room in the city for the night..."

"Really," Nancy drawled, stirring her drink with her straw. "That's very convenient."

"Yeah," Seth agreed.

"Describe this guy."

"Girls tell me he's hot," Seth said, nonchalant. "He goes for the long-legged type, the smart type. And I've never heard anyone complaining the next morning."

"And that tells me exactly nothing about him." Nancy made her eyes wide and innocent as she took a sip of her water.

Seth grinned. "Isn't that all you need to know, really?"

Nancy excused herself, and in the bathroom she stared at herself in the mirror. What the hell was she doing? She was mostly sure that this was Ned's doing, but if she was wrong...

The thought of some guy watching her, desiring her from a distance... well, that was kind of hot. On a strictly intellectual level.

Part of her hoped that when she returned to the table, Seth would be gone, but he was waiting and greeted her with a smile. "Two more minutes," he said.

She sighed, glancing down at her phone. "What's this guy's name."

"Well, it's Coleman... but he goes by Nick."

Nancy nodded. "Yeah," she said softly. "And where might I find this guy."

Seth reached into his pocket and pulled out an electronic keycard. "Madison, Room 707," he said. "He... you have no idea, how long he has wanted to... talk to you," Seth finished weakly, clearly meaning something different.

Nancy smiled. "It was nice to meet you, Seth."

He shook her extended hand, and sighed. "If you were free," he repeated wistfully.

The corners of her lips turned up again. "Been a long time," she told him. "I wouldn't hold my breath."

\--

Seth texted him as Nancy was walking out of the bar, so he had time to turn the television off, draw the shades, cast the room into darkness. He practiced a few times until he was able to navigate without tripping over anything.

Ned sat down at the small card table, waiting.

When she keyed in, his heart sped up a little.

"Hello?"

"Hi."

The door had just drifted closed behind her when she said the safe word, and he immediately stood, in the dark.

"It's okay. You don't like it?"

"I just... needed to know it was you." She released a soft nervous laugh.

"Do you want... to keep going?"

She crossed to the bed closest to the door, and he heard her slip out of her heels. "I want... to try something a little different."

Ned sat down, facing the other bed. He had made the room so intentionally dark that they couldn't see anything, so she could let herself imagine that he was someone else.

She let out a long sigh.

"What did I do wrong?"

She chuckled. "You didn't do anything wrong. It was really smart, actually. I wasn't expecting it."

Ned smiled. "But that isn't the way you imagined it."

She stood up and walked over to him, sitting down clumsily next to him, feeling for the comforter first. Then she patted his knee, very close to his groin, and he shifted a little. "Stop beating yourself up," she said.

"So what do you want to do."

Her fingers drifted up his arm, his shoulder, up to his ear, and she leaned over and kissed his cheek. Ned closed his eyes, his fingers brushing the fabric of her skirt.

Then she rose, and he heard her sit down on the other bed again.

"So where did that story come from," she said softly. "All that about noticing me from a distance."

"He did a good job, didn't he."

"He did," Nancy admitted. "He kept going even after I told him I was married to a very jealous man."

Ned chuckled. "Well, he owed me a favor. He was in the last pledge class before I graduated."

"And he just came up with that story."

"What are you asking, Nan?"

"If you... noticed me. Before we really met."

He liked the soft, almost shy sound of her voice in the dark. "Yeah," he admitted.

"And what did you think?" Her voice was even softer.

"I thought you were gorgeous," he said. "Really smart and reckless and independent and maybe a little scared."

"Scared?"

"Yeah. Did you notice me before we met?"

"I... yeah, I think so."

Ned made a soft noise. "Must not have made much impression," he said, and leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head.

"I thought you were cute. And... I really wanted you to ask me out. And I really hoped you wouldn't."

"Oh?" Ned said, interested.

"I never wanted a guy like you."

"Hmm."

"It's not..." She sighed. "I knew Frank back then, and I liked him, and I knew that if he and I dated, it would never be... it wouldn't be that serious, you know? He wouldn't be the kind of guy who would tell me what I was doing was too dangerous, or forbid me to chase down a lead, or get upset when I cancelled a date. And I wouldn't be mad when he did that either, because that's who we are, he and I. How I'm sure he still is. I always knew that I might get married one day, but if it were Frank, it would be... easy."

Nancy's voice trailed off, and Ned didn't speak. Just hearing Frank's name on her lips made him tense.

"And then... and then it was you, and I knew I couldn't be that person with you. I couldn't just... I mean, I liked Frank. I really, really liked Frank. But you? Every single time I saw you, every date we went on, I knew I was falling for you. I knew I would want to change for you and I knew being with you would change me, and I was afraid of losing you, I was afraid of losing myself... and then I couldn't stop myself anymore. And I don't know what it is," she said softly. "I've known other guys and it's just all of you, everything about you. And this isn't about actually hooking up with some stranger. I'd never..."

"I know," he said softly.

"I don't know if it was ever like this for you but we would go dancing and sometimes I'd see you from across the room and, oh, I could feel it all over me. And I'd think that if you walked over, if you took my hand and just led me somewhere..."

Ned propped himself up on his elbow, peering blindly in her direction through the dark. "You'd what," he prompted her, when she trailed off.

"Whatever you asked," she whispered. "Whatever you wanted."

Ned fell back onto the bed. "Oh, Nan, you are so lucky I didn't know that."

"You felt that way?"

He scoffed. "If I hadn't been sure that you'd slap me and your father would kill me? Hell yes. When you've been dancing and your hair is a little messed up and your face is glowing? God, you look so hot."

He could almost feel the slow grin that crossed her face, the blush that rose whenever he complimented her.

"So that's what you wanted," he realized.

"With you," she said. "Don't get me wrong, it would be insanely flattering for some other guy to try, but you, yes."

When she went quiet for a long moment, Ned propped himself up again. "All those things you said... all those reasons you wanted to be with him. All those things you say he wouldn't do. Those are things I do."

"Yeah." The mattress creaked under her. "You're home when I get home. You're worried when you don't see me. You insist on going along when you think it's too dangerous and you want to get involved. And you force me to relax every now and then. And I _need_ that."

Ned chuckled. "There was a time when you didn't want to be in love with me."

She moved, and then crossed to him again. His hand found hers in the dark and she touched his side, his shoulder. "I never wanted to be _in love_ ," she said softly. "It made Bess miserable. It made Hannah and my dad sad. It meant not being able to do what I wanted all the time, it meant people worrying about me and getting angry when I got hurt. It meant looking into some poor guy's eyes and seeing something there I'd never be able to return. And then... and then I met you and I knew you wouldn't be different, and if I loved you I'd have to stop being who I was, to make you happy, or I'd lose you."

"But I love all those things about you," he said. "I mean, they drive me nuts, and sometimes I do want to just handcuff you to me and never ever let you out of my sight, but that's not who you are."

"And that's why I love you," she said, a smile in her voice. "Because you love me but you don't try to smother me. And I love that you're right beside me most of the time, just as excited to be working on a case as I am."

"I don't think anyone could be as excited as you," he said, reaching up for her. He sat up and pulled her to him, and their kiss started sloppy until she tilted her head and then his tongue slipped into her mouth, and she let out a little moan.

"From practically the second I first saw you, I was in love with you," he said softly, when they parted. "I didn't doubt it. And I knew it would be easier, with someone else, but no one else on earth is you, Nan. And sometimes I wish you needed me more than you do..."

She slipped her arms around his neck. "I do," she whispered. "It's just... hard to say it."

He touched his forehead to hers. "I love you," he said.

"I love you," she replied, and her lips brushed his.

He sighed. "I don't think it'll ever be easy," he said softly. "But I wouldn't know what to do if it was."

She ran a hand through his hair. "So you still want to do it?"

"Do what? Have sex right now?"

She chuckled. "Go to the club."

"And do to you exactly what I wanted to do whenever we went to the club, when we were dating."

"Yeah," she agreed, softly.

"Hell yes."

\--

She left Ned to deal with the car, and when she slid into the cab Nancy let out a long sigh. She was already warm, her skin slick, and she fanned herself with her purse as the air conditioning blasted through the cab.

Nancy felt like she had just run a race, but it was exhilarating. There were a thousand more things she wanted to say, but the feeling was fading, and she was relieved to see it go.

She hated talking about how she felt. Hated it. It didn't serve a purpose, and for so long—

Well, she hadn't been honest about it for a long time, but for so long she had been teaching herself to force back fear and desire and pain and anger, that it was hard to even admit she was going through them. Only the people closest to her had ever seen it, and Ned, more than any other, had seen her at her most vulnerable. Telling him that she loved him hadn't been easy, not the first time, not the twentieth. Even now she was more comfortable reaching for him in the dark than saying the words.

When the cab pulled up in front of the busy club and the cabbie turned to her, Nancy blinked in sudden startled recognition. "Here?"

"Yeah. Change your mind?"

"No, sorry," Nancy said slowly, pushing the cab's door open. She handed over a few bills and checked to make sure she had enough for the entry fee before pushing open the front door.

Maybe Ned didn't realize what he'd said. Maybe he had just heard of the club. Or maybe he had known and had just wanted to see the expression on her face.

Either way, Nancy exchanged a sunny smile with the girl taking money at the door and headed for the bar. Her earlier martinis had faded to a dull throb behind her eyes; her headache intensified for a moment after her first sip of a bright pink martini, but soon she felt only the pleasant warmth of the alcohol.

Around her, girls in jeans and faded t-shirts mingled with girls in leather miniskirts and low-cut tops. Some of the men were dressed in khakis and polos; others wore tailored slim-fitting shirts and pants more fashionable than anything in Nancy's closet, complete with mascara and lip gloss.

Nancy had been in a few different gay clubs, but this one had changed hands since she had been inside, and she hadn't recognized the new name. She didn't see anyone she knew, but when she caught a few interested glances pointed in her direction, she headed for the dance floor.

The room was a mass of writhing bodies, wreathed in smoke, a few caged dancers gyrating to the delight of the audience. The strobe light turned every movement into an outsized gesture, and the muddy bass was so loud it seemed to pound right through her bones. Nancy squeezed into an available square foot of space and began to dance with the music, tossing her hair back out of her face, her laughter swallowed by the roar of the crowd. A hip, a hand brushed against her, and she ignored them, swaying.

Her next martini was warm in her belly, and she was dimly aware of the cluster of girls half-circled around her, when she felt a gaze on her again. This one, though, was familiar.

She slowed, scanning the room, and her gaze found him just as the strobing light briefly illuminated his face.

_Ned._

She hadn't seen him all night; even once they had made their plans to come here, they still hadn't turned the hotel room's lights on. His hair was mussed, but in that just out of bed way; he wore a black shirt and the expression in his dark eyes was unmistakable.

Nancy felt it slide straight down her spine, to between her legs.

Deliberately she began to dance again, throwing herself into the pulse of the music around her. A few girls approached and Nancy gave them all bright polite grins, the music and martinis swelling warm in her.

She could feel him moving closer, without even glancing in his direction again, and wondered how many men were approaching him, how many already had. She raked her hair back from her face, tossing it back, and undulated with the beat, feeling almost like she was performing for him, only him.

The next time she opened her eyes he was standing in front of her, so close that his interest was unmistakable. The circle around her opened a little, but Ned moved close to her, hands coming up, palms pressing to hers. When they swayed together she glanced up at him from beneath her lashes, an exaggerated sway in her hips.

He liked to dance. He liked to dance with her, but it had been a while, and she could remember stumbling out of clubs just before they closed, flushed and sweaty and laughing, Bess and George and Ned following behind, all of them bright-eyed and happy and exhausted, hobbling on sore feet.

Ned's fingertips trailed down her arms and she shivered, and didn't even bother trying to hide it. He cupped her hips and she joined her fingers behind his neck, their gazes locked.

When the song ended, their bodies were pressed together, and she could smell cologne and sweat and soap and him. He slid his hand up and grasped hers, and then led her through the crowd, toward a back hallway.

She was smiling when they walked into the individual bathroom, bypassing the "ONLY 1 PERSON AT A TIME" sign, ignoring the one posted on the wall. The room was painted a matte black. Ned closed and locked the door behind them.

"So," she said softly.

"So," he replied, and slipped his fingers under the hem of her shirt, then pushed her bra up. He brushed his fingertips over her nipples through the satin and she shivered, shifting her weight back onto her heels, arching her back.

"You looked so damn hot out there."

"So did you," she groaned, her knees parting. She reached for his pants and opened them, and with a soft moan he stepped in close to her. He kissed her hard, his hips pressing close, and she slipped her arms around his neck, sighing when he pushed her skirt up.

When he pulled back and knelt down, Nancy leaned back against the wall, tilting her head back, and chuckled.

Ned looked up at her. "Hmm?"

"Just trying to imagine what I would've done if this had happened while we were dating."

Ned smirked, hooking his fingers in the waistband of her panties, and slowly began to inch them down. "I would've lost my mind," he said.

She shivered and stepped out of one heel, then the other, letting him take her panties off. His fingers drifted up over her smooth legs, and he ducked under her skirt. His lips brushed over her right inner thigh.

Her knees buckled, and she grabbed his shoulders for balance.

He traced his tongue slowly, deliberately over the seam of her lips and she groaned, her hips angling. He kissed her other thigh and then sucked hard, bit her gently, and she flipped her skirt up, burying her fingers in his hair.

Then he squirmed one finger just barely between her legs and let out a low groan. "Fuck," he murmured, and pulled himself to his feet.

"I want you," she breathed, holding his gaze as she pushed his underwear down. "Please."

She pushed off the wall and he bent down, letting her straddle him. He grasped her ass and pushed up and she let out a low moan as his cock slipped inside her. He slammed her into the wall and she wrapped her legs around him, letting her hips slide down a little, moaning when his angle changed inside her. His hands tightened on her ass as he thrust again, and she ran her hands through his hair, his brown eyes dark with desire as they met hers.

"That feels so good," she told him, shivering as his fingers dug into her flesh. "God, oh my God."

She pushed her shoulders against the wall for leverage, drawing her nails down his shoulders as her hips slid another inch and he pushed as deep as he could inside her. With a whimper she circled her hips, letting out a cry as her clit rubbed against him, and when her thighs tightened Ned released a curse, pulling back to slam into her even harder.

She flushed, moving against him again, reaching up to frantically pull her shirt up. She stroked her breasts, roughly rolling her nipples, and Ned built a hard rhythm in her, driving into her with brutal thrusts whenever she rocked her hips against his. When she tightened her thighs again, Ned groaned, dropping his head to her breasts.

It was only once his lips brushed against her breasts, his cock hot and rock-hard and so deep inside her, her hips circling to rub her clit against him, that they felt the first clench of her orgasm. Ned pulled back and fucked her, hard and frantic, against the wall, and she tilted her head back, gasping for breath. "Ned, oh my God, _Ned_ ," she cried, and shivered when he groaned her name.

Almost as soon as he came he released her, and she grasped his shoulders, slowly letting her legs slide down his. She was still shivering and her thighs were sore, all of her flushed warm. Her heels had smacked to the floor while they were having sex and her knees didn't want to hold her weight, and for a long, long moment she just worked on getting her breath back, shoving her hair out of her face.

A pounding fist on the door startled them both. "Hey, what the fuck?" a voice called, over the din of the music.

Her face still flushed, Nancy pushed her hair back again and glanced over at him. "Panties?"

Ned shrugged. "Souvenir?"

She raised a saucy eyebrow and reached under her shirt to pull her bra back down, toeing her heels back upright. "Then give me your boxers."

Ned stuck his tongue out and tossed her panties to her, and she stepped back into them. Ned finished putting himself back together and then Nancy grasped his collar, pulling him down to her for a slow kiss. When she pulled back, his hand was on her ass.

"That was an amazing workout."

He was grinning before she shot him a mock glare. "Yeah, amazing for my abs," she returned dryly, unlocking the door, meeting the stare of the waiting clubbers with a glare of her own. Her hand swung back and Ned caught it in his and she led him out of the club, into the cool night air.

"So we have a hotel room for the night."

She squeezed his hand and leaned into him. "And I need another martini."

"It has a bar," Ned shrugged. "And I am totally behind the idea of getting fucked up, going upstairs, and getting fucked."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Making sweet love," she gently, mockingly corrected him.

"Fucking," he told her, leading her toward the car. "If I'm not too drunk, against the wall again. If I am too drunk then maybe in the elevator. Against the wall of the elevator."

"I think technically we earn a bingo at that point."

"Oh, are we keeping score?"

She kissed his cheek and pulled back, her eyes wide and innocent. "Of course we are."

"And who's ahead?"

"Depends on who does what with his tongue later."

They slid into the car and Ned revved the engine, a dark grin on his face. "Oh, I love that kind of dare."


	9. Chapter 9

Ned opened one eye, slowly, then shut it. The curtains were bright with sunshine. The alarm clock was a red blur. Everything, really, was a blur.

"Ugh," he groaned, gingerly moving under the covers. The headache hadn't quite started yet, but he could feel it, fluttering at the edges of his consciousness.

Beside him, Nancy made an irritated noise and burrowed deeper under the covers. "Shh," she mumbled sternly.

They were naked. He loved when she slept naked, when he woke to remember her protesting, shaking her head, then giving in, in a glorious moment of abandon. Very, very drunken abandon.

She was on her side, one knee bent, the other straight, and when he curled up behind her, she made another noise. "Later," she said, her voice half between a sigh and a growl.

"Now," he corrected, slipping his arm around her, his hand coming up to cup her breast. After a few strokes her nipple was hardening under his fingertip, and she jerked her shoulder back.

"No," she said, sounding more awake this time.

Ned sighed. "Come on," be cajoled her, his hand sliding down her chest, to her belly.

He had almost reached his goal when she said, clearly, "Our parents will be here in fifteen fucking minutes."

"Fuck," Ned snarled, immediately throwing the covers back. When he climbed to his feet his head immediately began an insistent, nauseating pounding. "Oh fuck."

Nancy slid out of bed a little more carefully, shooting him a baleful look. "Shower," she suggested.

"Together?"

She sighed, rummaging in her lingerie drawer. "Yeah, but if you touch me I'll tie you up tonight and have the best hour of my life with you."

Ned stepped out of their closet, immediately pinning her with a glare. _"Nooooooo."_

She gave him a sunny grin, although her brow was still creased from her matching headache. "Don't test me, cowboy."

Nancy was blow-drying her hair and Ned was hopping around on one foot, trying to find his shoe and put on a sock at the same time, when the dryer shut off and Nancy poked her head out of the bathroom, her eyes wide. "Ned, listen, go downstairs, there's a present for you, white paper and blue snowflakes on it or whatever, but you have to bring it upstairs—"

He raised an eyebrow at her just as the doorbell rang.

"Oh _shit_ ," Nancy said, cranking the dryer up to high.

"I'll get it," Ned said, rolling his eyes and wincing when the motion made him feel even more nauseated.

The stairs were littered with their clothes. Ned plucked a black lace bra and thong, a red dress, his tie and pants and shirt and undershirt and boxers, even his damn socks, her heels and his shoes, off the stairs and the entryway floor. He tossed it all into the coat closet, then remembered that they would want to hang their coats up, and gathered it all up again as the doorbell chimed.

"Just a second," he called, and tossed it all into the laundry room, shutting the door behind him.

What the hell had she said, blue with white flakes or something? Shit.

It had been a tradition since they had married, that on Christmas Eve they woke up and wrapped presents for each other and snuck them under the tree like they were from Santa. Those were always the first ones they opened, too, practically screaming with glee over them. Some years they had been normal gifts, books or videogames or electronics they wanted, but, given their preoccupation over the past year, Ned had selected something extremely inappropriate for his wife.

And, given her panic over the prospect, her gift was similarly inappropriate for their parents' horrified eyes.

He found his gift to her easily, then one he didn't recognize. White paper and blue snowflakes. It looked like a book, though. Ned shook his head, tossed them into the laundry room on top of their clothes, and shut the door.

"We didn't wake you, I hope?"

Hannah and Carson were at the door. Just turning the corner onto their street, Ned's parents' car was approaching, too. Ned stifled his hangover with a grin and shook his head. "Well, we had a late night, sorry to keep you waiting. Nancy would've killed me if I'd let you in with the way the living room looked."

Hannah gave Ned a one-armed hug, a cake carrier in her other hand. "Why, it's pretty as a picture," she exclaimed, then looked at the tree. "Ned, go turn those lights on."

Carson clapped Ned on the back, following Hannah to the kitchen to help Nancy's surrogate mother out of her coat. Ned took a moment to breathe, half-closing the door as his father carefully maneuvered into the driveway, then walked over and turned on the tree lights.

"Ned!"

Ned went to the foot of the stairs. His wife stood at the top, her hair loose and framing her face, slender body wrapped in a towel. With one glance Ned was distracted by the thought of running up there, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her to bed, letting their parents fend for themselves for a little while.

It must have shown in his face, because Nancy shook her head. "You're incorrigible," she whispered. "Who's here?"

"Your dad and Hannah," he said softly. "And my parents are just pulling in. Anything else you forgot?"

She stuck her tongue out. "It's for later," she told him. "I thought we'd have time before they got here."

"Well, we would have," he said.

She dismissed him with a wave, tucking the towel tighter around her as she headed back to their room. He watched her, shaking his head, then met Carson halfway to the kitchen.

"Thanks," Carson said, passing over his and Hannah's coats. "Nancy okay?"

"Yeah, it's just taking her longer to get dressed than she thought," Ned said, and couldn't hide his wince as the doorbell chimed again. His father-in-law gave him a knowing look, and the two men headed for the door.

"Merry Christmas!" Edith greeted them, as James struggled with a box at the trunk of the car. She threw her arms around Ned and kissed his cheek, and Ned closed his eyes, glad he'd had time to take a shower. When he had opened his eyes this morning, he had smelled like sex and liquor.

"James need some help?" Carson asked, already halfway out the door. "Merry Christmas, Edith."

Ned took his mother's coat as she walked in. "Why, it's so lovely in here, but it's too quiet. We need some Christmas music on! Where's the stereo, Ned?"

Hannah emerged from the kitchen, a flour-streaked apron already tied around her waist. "Edith! So good to see you. Let's figure out what we need to get done. When are we eating, Ned?"

Ned rubbed at his forehead. "Don't know," he admitted. "Nan—"

"Where is Nancy?"

"Yeah," Ned muttered, heading back for the steps just as his wife came down, in an immaculate gray sweater and jeans that hugged and emphasized her every curve. A gold locket he had given her years and years before hung around her neck, and her blue eyes sparkled when they met his, then drifted down his black sweater and gray pants.

"Merry Christmas," she told him, her voice pitched low and for his ears alone, a soft smile curving her lips.

"Merry Christmas," he returned, and he was unable to resist the urge to pick her up and put her down beside him. God. Maybe she had slipped him something the night before; he simply could not get enough of her. His skin fucking craved contact with hers.

Then they turned, to see four sets of amused eyes on them. Ned's fingers brushed Nancy's and she squeezed his hand for a second before walking toward the kitchen.

"Sorry we were a little early," Hannah said.

"How was the party last night?" Edith asked.

Nancy and Ned exchanged a glance. "Why on earth her work decided to have it on Christmas Eve is beyond me," Ned said, walking toward the stereo. "But it was nice."

"Late getting home?" Hannah asked knowingly.

"Yeah," Nancy said, heading for the kitchen. "But it's okay. Now, I got the fruit salad started yesterday, and the eggs are already boiled..."

They settled into the familiar routine that marked their Thanksgivings and Christmases: since Nancy and Ned were only children, they just hosted the meals at their house, leaving their parents to bring the staples. It had been James and Edith's turn for the turkey, and Hannah's turn for dessert; during the day the women would stay in the kitchen, making rolls, casseroles, pies, deviled eggs, fruit salad, stuffing, all of it, and the men would stay on the couch, watching the game, snatching the occasional early taste. Last year Hannah had thought ahead, and made a crock pot of meatballs to keep the men out of the kitchen and their hair.

James made the run to the grocery store for those few last-minute items they always seemed to forget (this year it was brown sugar, marshmallows, and aluminum foil), and Ned always volunteered to head to the kitchen for another round of beers. His mother and Hannah bustled efficiently around the kitchen, every now and then asking Nancy where the baking powder or pie plates would be; Nancy had tied her hair back and put on an apron, her feet pale under the long hems of her jeans, and he just loved watching her. Especially knowing that she had probably claimed today for another round of their little game.

After lunch, while they were all half-drowsy and stuffed, Nancy and Ned sat beside the tree and handed out presents. Ned noticed, but didn't say anything, when Nancy shoved one under the tree skirt, emerging with another box and a smile. The living room became a sea of discarded paper and gift bags and tape and ribbon, gloves and scarves and hats and jewelry boxes and ties and sweaters, gift cards from distant relatives and cash from others, imported chocolates and video games, cuff links and tie pins, books and cookbooks. A few times the doorbell rang to a flower or gift basket delivery, from past clients or current friends.

Ned had just started gathering up all the detritus when Bess and George came by, waving a greeting to the parents before fake-reluctantly accepting a bag of Hannah's famous Christmas cookies to take home to their own families. Bess made herself a ham roll and rhapsodized over the meatballs, and George asked Nancy and Ned if they wanted to come play basketball in a few days.

Then Mike and Jan came over, and soon they were on the couch too, beers in their hands.

James and Edith said their goodbyes first, then Carson and Hannah, each promising to come by the next day and help with the leftovers. That left the six of them, and late in the afternoon Ned finally felt well enough to try a beer, and then they ended up at the kitchen table, singing along with the Christmas music and playing cards. Bess made herself a plate, then Jan and Mike, until they all gave in and took another helping, and still the refrigerator was packed. Bess almost cried, Hannah's Christmas cookies were so amazingly good.

The sky was just fading to pure black when Nancy waved her last goodbye and shut the door. When she turned, Ned wasn't beside her.

"Honey?"

Ned came back with the two gifts in his hands, deposited them on the couch, then walked over to the tree. He found the other gift she had left under the tree skirt, then sat down on the couch and looked up at her expectantly.

"Now?"

"Are they all gone?"

Nancy checked, then turned back with a nod.

"And they probably won't come back."

"Probably not," she agreed, sitting down at the other end of the couch, folding one leg underneath her. "So whatever you got me..."

"Is probably just as dirty as whatever you got me," Ned confirmed. "What first?"

She nodded at the long box that he had retrieved from under the tree. "That one," she told him.

He opened it as she took the box he had wrapped for her, and put it on her lap. Inside, nestled in glittery tissue paper, was a red lace babydoll, the fabric so sheer it left very little to the imagination.

"Oh, I hope this is for you to wear."

She nodded, a smile in her eyes. "Very much so. And the other one..."

He nodded at her gift. "You first."

Nancy ripped the paper off, then glanced from the box to her husband. "Hmm."

"Yeah."

"So is this for another one of your videos?"

They had made no videos other than the one, but when she said that, Ned couldn't help but perk up. "Would you be cool with that? I mean, we have tomorrow off work..."

She rested her hand over his. "Yeah, and our parents will be over again, and... slow down there, cowboy. We have time. Unless you wanted to claim tonight too."

"But you want tonight."

She nodded. "Yeah. And... I'm sure this'll be... amazing," she said, putting the toy to the side, "but, later. Okay, last gift."

It was a book, just like he had thought. He turned it over.

_101 Illustrated Sex Positions._

Ned glanced up at his wife. "Trying to tell me something?"

She shook her head, her eyes bright. "I just thought, tonight, you can pick what I'm going to wear, and, well, it's a free space, so maybe we could try out a few of those."

He shook his head, chuckling. "Well, if I get to pick what you wear, it'll be... nothing."

"Before that," she said.

"Nothing," he replied. "And, if you want to get naked right now..."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "That's no fun."

He gazed at her for a long moment. "Okay. Then what you wore on our wedding night."

She looked away. "You sure?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

She disappeared, and when she came back downstairs she wore a white nightgown, opaque and almost modest, over a pair of white satin panties. The gown was trimmed in pink ribbon, and while she was wearing it, with that blush in her cheeks and her hair tumbled loose down her shoulders, she looked like a shy virgin again.

A shy virgin with a very talented tongue who was probably already wet at the thought of what he was going to do to her.

He nodded at the toy, which he had removed from the box and already stocked with batteries. "I want to watch you with it," he told her.

She gazed at it for a second from under lowered lashes, then turned to him. "We'll need lube," she said, her voice a soft, low murmur. "And I want you to make me ready for it, Ned. Make me wet for it."

He had never negotiated the stairs so quickly. When he came back downstairs with condoms and lube, she stood at the arm of the couch, one heel in the air, one fingertip stroking the fabric, back and forth.

He dropped the paraphernalia onto the coffee table, then embraced her from behind, his cock already standing to attention under his pants. "Nan," he whispered, and cupped her breasts through the thick fabric, distantly felt her nipples harden beneath. He breathed her name again, ducking in to kiss her neck, the join of her shoulder, squeezing the sensitive flesh, and she arched against him, her ass rubbing against the front of his pants. He managed to open his pants one-handed, the other sliding down to cup against her panties between her thighs, and loosed his cock. Then he pushed her panties down her ass and rubbed his erection against her bare flesh, and she shivered.

"Ned," she breathed, as the heel of his hand pushed hard against her crotch, forcing her back against him. Her hips rocked as he grasped her gown, pulling it over her head and tossing it to the floor, leaving her only half-clad in those ridiculously thin panties. He looped an arm around her waist and pulled her down with him to the couch, and she straddled his legs, planting the heels of her hands on his knees to keep her balance as she rubbed her ass against his cock.

Ned sighed, pulling his sweater off, then cupped her breasts again, plucking at her tight nipples. She shivered in delight and he could feel, could smell how wet she was for him. His pants were half-off anyway so he angled under her and shoved them down, then reached for the lube and a condom. She was groping for his cock, seeking to angle him under her so she could ride him.

He took her hand instead and pushed it into her panties, and the half-pained cry she made when she first touched herself made his groin tighten with need. He slicked lube over the condom on his fingers and just barely pushed them into her ass, then again, again. When she was ready for it, her fingers working frantically between her thighs, he pushed her up, off him, kicking his pants off.

When she was standing in front of him he pushed her panties all the way off, moaning in pleasure when he saw her fingers buried between her legs. He pulled her hand from her crotch and took her fingers in his mouth, sucking the taste of her arousal off, and she shivered and straddled him again, her hips rocking close to his as he suckled.

Then he took her ass and lifted her up, moving so he could suckle her breast. He held her hands behind her and when she was undulating again, he detached and trailed kisses down her chest, then slid his tongue up the seam of her lips.

"Yes," she cried out, naked and begging.

In answer he handed her the toy. She looked down at it, blue eyes hazed with desire, then put two condoms on it, her hands shaking. She slicked lube over it with deft flicks of her fingers, and Ned groaned in anticipation.

"Hold it for me," she breathed, pushing her knees apart so she could position herself over it. Ned angled it so it could enter her and she parted her lips, and he could see the swelled button of her clit, the wet flesh flushed with arousal. She fitted the tip of the first head just inside her, then squirmed her hips a little.

"Oh, oh my _God,_ " she screamed, as she sank down, as both heads of the toy slid inside her. The tight flesh of her sex was already wet; the smaller head, meant to slide inside her ass, had to be lubed for her, and she took it slowly, so slowly that Ned had to fight the urge to ram it up inside her. She blinked lazily, fondling her breasts, the rosy peaks of her nipples, and her mouth fell open as it penetrated her another inch.

Ned leaned back, satisfied that it would stay inside her, and began to stroke his cock as he watched his wife ride the double dildo. When it wasn't quite buried to the hilt inside her she pulled back, and Ned touched his balls, then stroked his wife's clit. She let out a whimpering cry and he took the moisture he found there, slicking it over his cock, stroking himself faster as she parted her lips and stroked a fingertip around her clit.

With a soft moan she sank onto the dildo and Ned slid his hand under her, then twisted the base, a little at first. The toy began to vibrate, weakly, and Nancy shuddered, her knees sliding back together so she could rise again.

"Use it, baby," he urged her, taking the hand plucking at her nipples and cupping it under the toy. She slid her legs fully apart and Ned was panting, stroking his shaft rapidly as she pushed the toy up inside her, then pulled it out, fucking herself with it, harder and deeper each time. He twisted the base again and she let out a howl of startled pleasure, her breath hot on his skin, her face against his shoulder as she pushed it inside her again.

"Tell me," Ned demanded, gasping as his cock tightened with need.

"Oh my God it feels _so good_ ," she cried out, and when she let it rest against his knee so she could twist the base again, increasing the vibration, he could feel it. He squeezed his cock hard to keep from coming and the vibrator made a wet growl as it slid home, in and out of her, as she frantically stroked her clit. Her hips circled and she tossed her hair back, her breasts pale and bouncing with her thrusts, and when he heard her whimpering cries shift into low desperate moans he began to stroke again, coming on her belly as she sank to the vibrator, hips rocking and writhing against it as she came.

For the longest time he watched her arch and thrust against it, over and over, her face glowing with sweat, the long pale lines of her golden from the fairy lights wrapped around the tree. He urged her to push herself up again and she was weak, trembling, and he nudged her hand aside and suckled her clit. The vibrator made a wet sound as she pushed it deeper and then he took the base in his hand, and as he suckled he drew it almost fully out of her, then twisted the base as far as it would go and rammed it, jittering, fully between her legs.

Her scream when she came again, her fingers in his hair, the smell of her sex and perfume and sweat, made him lightheaded. He mimicked the rapid strokes he would have made with his cock and she squirmed, and then somehow they nearly fell off the couch together, and she was on her knees, bent backward, supporting her weight on the coffee table as he leaned over her, fucking her hard with the toy. She tilted her head back, her breasts bouncing with every stroke of the toy inside her, her throat bare and white. He moved back to see her, all of her, still working the toy, and he knew it when she came again, imagined her sex tightening around it, all slick heat, and he was hard again.

When he pulled it out of her she slumped, moaning, her hair against his belly. He touched his cock and she trailed lazy kisses across his hips, planted a soft one at the base of his cock, then across again. She licked his balls, still panting, and Ned let his hand fall away, letting her take over.

She grasped his ass and urged him back to the couch, kneeling between his knees, and ran the tip of her tongue up the underside of his shaft, then back down again. She was still trembling, and he loved that, loved it as she angled him and took the head of his cock in her mouth, the tip of her tongue swirling around the head, tasting his seed. She flicked the very tip of the head, then sucked gently, taking more and more with every bob of her head.

"Nan," Ned whispered, parting his legs even further, burying his fingers in her hair. "Oh my God, yes, baby, yes."

She took as much of his length as she could, her mouth hot and wet around him, and he shivered, tight with his need to come. She touched his balls and he angled his hips, jerking a little, his fingers hard against her scalp, and she sucked a little harder, tightening her lips around his cock as he came.

When he was finished she pulled back, gazing up at him, and Ned could remember the way she had looked in that damn hotel room. Now her blue eyes were hazy with sated desire, and when she swallowed he reached down and pulled her to unsteady feet, then swept her onto his lap.

"Thanks."

She raised a surprised eyebrow. "Least I could do," she murmured, moving so she could rest her head on his shoulder.

"So, how was that."

She smiled, her eyes still closed. "I think I'm supposed to ask that," she pointed out.

"Eh, I'm the one who bought it."

She ran her fingers through his hair, and he sighed. "It was nice," she said softly. "I loved it. I loved it even more when you were controlling it."

"I don't understand that."

"I always know what I'm about to do," she said. "I don't know what you're about to do. And there at the end... God, you are _so_ good at giving me multiples. It's so hard for me to do it."

Ned snickered and she raked her nails down the back of his neck. "Yeah, shut up," she said.

He closed his eyes for a moment, then reached for his beer bottle, which miraculously hadn't spilled. He took a swig and she reached for it, and while she was taking a sip he caught her nipple in his mouth and suckled. Her legs tightened and she let out a soft squeak, lowering the bottle.

"You didn't put any orajel on your cock, did you."

Ned pulled back. "I don't think you'd be able to talk right now if I had," he said, and returned to her breast.

Nancy sighed, lazily drawing her fingers through his hair as he suckled the other. "I want you," she whispered.

"Okay, now who's taking aphrodisiacs."

She tilted her head back. "It's different when it isn't you," she said softly. "And I know you really got off on watching that, but I want _you_. I always want you. It's embarrassing, it's scary how much I want your cock." She clasped him loosely in her fist and he bit her nipple gently, drawing a soft gasp from her.

Ned pulled back, closing his eyes as her fingertips explored him. "Okay," he sighed. "I really need something to drink and I really did not get a big enough slice of that cake earlier."

With one final squeeze Nancy stood up and swept up her white gown, and Ned gave her ass an appreciative stroke. She shot a look at him over her shoulder, and smirked.

Then she picked up the toy and looked down. "Uh, I might need a little help."

After they had fished one of the condoms out and Nancy went upstairs, pointedly leaving the book behind, Ned walked into the kitchen, blissfully naked, and scratched at his belly. He took out a small plate and piled on a stack of cookies, then poked his head in the fridge. Nancy walked in, swinging the red lace thong that matched the set he had opened earlier, but she was naked too.

They took their drinks and plates into the living room, and Nancy pulled the quilt down for them to sit on. She draped herself over his lap and Ned flipped through the channels, chuckling as Nancy fed him half a cookie. Her fingertips were wet with condensation as she rubbed them over his nipple, and when he glanced down at her, she was staring fixedly at the television. Then she rolled her hips and sat up, licking the condensation off his chest.

Ned chuckled again, gently running his fingertips down the indention of her spine. She shivered and kissed his neck, his adam's apple, just under the point of his jaw. Then she slipped back down, reaching for her drink again.

After Ned watched the sports recaps, he flipped to an old movie and finished his cake. The blue light played over them, and Ned looked at the tree, the stockings, the trim on the bannister. Nancy had really done a great job on it. He stroked a hand over her hip and she stretched, gazing up at him.

Ned grabbed her legs and shifted between them, kneeling. He draped her legs over his shoulders and she pushed her own shoulders against the arm of the couch, letting out a soft sigh. He grasped her ass and all her weight was balanced against her shoulders, as he shifted his hips back and leaned down.

He went down on her, slowly, and she crossed her ankles, locking them behind his neck to open her knees, to give him better access. Lazily she cupped her breasts, rubbing her thumbs against her nipples, and her mouth fell open as Ned's tongue flicked over her clit. He suckled hard, and she whimpered, her thumbs brushing quicker, and when she tilted her hips he pressed his tongue between her thighs, over the slick flesh, into the tight press of her sex. He worked his tongue and she shivered, flushing, whimpering as he rubbed his stubbled chin over the sensitive flesh.

He pressed her lips apart, caressing her ass, her inner thighs, and suckled her clit again, until she was begging. He pressed his thumb inside her and felt her clench weakly around him, and then he took her feet and uncrossed her ankles, pushing her legs apart, lowering her ass to the couch. He trailed kisses up, slowly, up over her belly, her breasts, and when he kissed her she tasted like chocolate chips and she didn't wince at the taste of her sex on his lips.

"Get up," he whispered into her ear, and she slid off the couch on trembling legs.

He pushed the coffee table out of the way and sat down on the carpet with his back against the foot of the couch, then tilted his head back, his head and his shoulders on the cushion. He pushed up so his back was straight and his knees were bent at a ninety-degree angle and Nancy straddled him, her weight on her tiptoes, the heels of her hands on his shoulders to keep her balance.

"Like this?"

"Like this," he agreed, sighing as she angled him, then slid down onto his cock. She was incredibly wet and Ned kept his gaze on her face, watching the incredible pleasured pain of her expression as she mounted him. Her brow creased and she paused, their hips joined, his cock up to the hilt inside her, before she grasped his shoulders and began to ride him. He felt her inner thighs tense as she rocked back and forth, and Ned pushed himself up from the balls of his feet to meet her thrust.

"Nan," he groaned, arching up, pressing his shoulders down as he squirmed his hand between them. She was bent over him, her hair brushing against his chest, and she cried out as his thumb brushed against her clit.

"God, oh _God_ ," she cried out, her hips rocking harder against his. She was wet and tight around him and Ned clenched his jaw, letting out a stuttering groan as she circled, shivering with every stroke of his thumb against her clit. He rubbed harder and she balanced on her tiptoes, riding him even more roughly.

"Come," he gasped out, pinching her clit hard between his fingertips, and her shoulders jerked, her mouth wet against his neck, his shoulder. She sucked against the skin as her sex clenched around his and he groaned loudly, her hips shifting the angle of his cock inside her, pressing against his hand.

"Sit up, baby," he begged, and he rubbed his nail over her clit as she sat up, tossing her hair back, shivering over him. Her sex clenched hard and released, again and again, as she panted, a low, wicked moan coming from her bared throat.

When he came he relaxed his knees and sat back down at the foot of the couch, and she was still joined to him, her knees bent and up at his shoulders, feet planted on either side of his hips. Her nipples brushed against his chest and he loosely clasped her hips, his arms hooked under her knees.

"Oh, that was good," she told him, her eyes sparkling as she leaned forward and kissed him again. "Very good," she whispered against his lips.

"Good," he whispered, and she pushed her hips back, parting from him.

They watched the rest of the movie, finished off the cookies, Ned's beer, a glass of milk. Their bellies were painfully full when the movie was ending, and when Ned turned to Nancy she was wearing the new red set. He chuckled.

"You were gonna wear that thing, dammit," he said, laughing.

"Whether you asked me to or not," she giggled.

"We should go to bed."

"Like, go to bed?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Like, we sleep for a while and I wake you up in the middle of the night," he said, and wiggled his own eyebrows.

She giggled again and swept up their empty plates and dishes. He helped her load the dishwasher, still naked, and she laughed and smacked his ass as he was leaning over putting a plate in.

He straightened, shooting her a mock glare. "I thought I was the only one allowed to spank."

"That was _nothing_ ," she told him. "And I'll get you on the other side unless you _promise,_ " she drawled, "that you'll wake me up tonight."

"The most pleasant way I know how," he promised, leaning down to give her a kiss.

She turned off the tree lights just before they headed upstairs, and Ned picked up the book, flipping through. He snorted at a few of the more ridiculous positions, but when Nancy walked out of the bathroom, teeth freshly brushed, still wearing her red outfit, Ned gestured to the pages he had left open on the bed.

"Maybe that one," he suggested, as he went into the bathroom.

She was waiting for him when he came out of the bathroom, and he went over to the light, pausing to watch as she stripped and slid into bed naked. He flipped the light off and followed, curling up behind her.

"Yeah," she murmured. "I think that one'll work."

She still felt warm and sensitive between her legs, still hyperaware of her husband, but she fell asleep before two minutes had passed, Ned's arm slung over her. Her dream was long and unremarkable, and in her sleep she felt his lips brush against the base of her neck, his hand slide down between her thighs.

But when she woke, still slow and drowsy, Ned was snoring, on his back beside her. She rolled over and put her head on his shoulder, gently caressing his chest. She bent her knee and draped it across his thighs, her fingertips following the trail of dark hair under his navel. She touched him and felt him stir a little under her caress, and his snore trailed off to just heavy breathing.

She felt him rise to consciousness as he stretched under her, making a soft groan at her touch. "How come you can't be like this all the time," he murmured, his voice thick with sleep, and his fingers bumped against her hip.

"I am like this all the time," she said softly. "I just have better self-control than you do."

Ned chuckled, his hand stroking down the length of her thigh, to her knee.

"So how do we do this?"

"I think you get on top of me and I get in you and then you lie back," he said. "But, in a minute."

He rolled over, onto her, and she was pinned under his weight, wholly in his power. He nuzzled against her, sucking a hickey to match the one she had given him earlier, against her shoulder, and she squirmed under him. She ran her nails down his back, over his shoulder blades, the indention of his spine, and felt his hips surge against her, pressing the hard length of his erection against her belly.

She parted her legs willingly and his weight kept her thighs open, and he slid down. She arched when the length of his cock fit against the slit between her thighs, and squirmed a little, seeking contact. Ned chuckled and moved back to look at her, his face over hers, propping himself up on his elbows.

"I love seeing you like this," he said softly, her lips parting as he rubbed the length of his cock between her thighs. "I just love the way you look while we're having sex."

"We're not, quite," she pointed out, and ran her fingers through his hair.

He nodded, smiling when her thighs tensed, her knees drawing up higher as he deliberately rubbed against her again. "Yeah, but we will," he said, his voice low and gravelly from sleep, and she shivered.

When he rolled over she slung her knee over him and he angled his cock, letting her slide down onto him. She rose and fell a few times, until she had taken his full length, then leaned back slowly, until she was lying between his open legs.

Ned winced. "Okay, now," he said, and moved one leg over her hips, as she did the same to him.

He pushed himself up a little on his elbows and she did the same, letting out a cry as her hips shifted down to meet his. She reached down and found her clit, jerking as she rubbed it hard, as their hips rocked together. He let out a groan and she shuddered, arching, her heels digging into the bed.

The angle and depth of his entry was different, slow, and it took forever for them to find their rhythm, their hips trembling as they met. She kept stroking her clit and soon she could hear how wet she was, as he slid into and out of her, and it was so strange to be folded around him this way. She tightened her thighs and Ned let out a loud groan, his cock sliding against the sensitive sides of her sex, and she trembled, tilting her head back.

"Is it good," he gasped out, and when he pushed himself up she nodded, gasping. He maneuvered until her hips were pinned under him and he was sprawled nearly sideways on top of her, his cock still moving between her legs, and she was bent at the waist to give him better access. She let her hand fall away and he ground down into her, her clit rubbing against the base of his cock, and she cried out, shivering.

"God, Ned, _Ned,_ " she sobbed out, and clenched him hard between her legs, and he let out a rough cry. He fucked her hard and the angle of his cock hit her just, just right, just perfect, and she arched hard, her hips circling frantically under him.

"Now please please pleasepleaseplease," she begged, her nails digging into him, down the small of his back, his ass, and he jerked against her. With a long, low groan that she joined, shaking, he came and she followed, her mouth dry, her sex slick and half-raw from the stroke of his.

It took a long, long moment for them to recover enough to untangle, scooting away from each other. This time she rolled off the bed and came back with the cloth, wiping her thighs, and offered it to him. She tossed it in the direction of the hamper when he was done, then climbed back under the covers, shivering.

He pulled her into his arms and she rested her forehead against his chest, looping her leg over his hips.

He hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her face back to look into her eyes.

"Best. Present. Ever," he said, smiling.

"Ditto," she told him, drawing his face down to hers for a kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

Nancy's cell phone sounded a bleating alarm. Nancy groped for it, managing to silence it only after supreme effort, and collapsed back into the bed. She turned over to look at Ned—

And before she even finished rolling over, she remembered that Ned wasn't there, wouldn't be there.

She sighed and rubbed at her eyes, bits of stale mascara and eyeliner coming off on her knuckle, and tossed the covers back.

The case wasn't supposed to last this long. She was investigating a case of corporate espionage from the inside, and her contact, Ellis Jerome, had even set her up in a cover apartment. She was surrounded by secondhand furniture, had to get up at a godawful hour every morning, and she missed Ned so much it actually physically hurt.

The apartment itself wasn't so bad. She gathered her lingerie and a clean towel and headed for the shower, remembering the apartment she and Ned had lived in when they were first married, the puffy couch and bean bag chair and creaking bed, shitty furniture they had replaced every other paycheck. Giggling and losing their balance in the shower together, having awkward sex on the kitchen counter, falling asleep in front of the television set.

As soon as she had her hair dried, she called him.

"Tell me you're coming home today," Ned groaned when he answered. "Oh my God, I have no clean clothes left, the only food in the house is this nasty can of pickled onions or some shit, and your alarm has been going off for an hour."

"Has not."

"Has so."

"Then it's been going off every morning."

"That alarm clock is headed for a shallow grave unless you talk it down soon."

Nancy clucked her tongue. "I have everything I need, and I'll be talking to Jerome this morning. I should be home tonight."

"Should be," Ned repeated. "How about you call me when you get on the plane."

"You sound like you doubt me, Mr. Nickerson."

"Never," he protested. "All these years of experience are worthless. ...All joking aside, babe, I miss you so much."

"I miss you too," Nancy sighed, selecting a pencil skirt and button-down shirt. "I cannot wait to see you. I've been waking up wet for you every morning and you aren't here."

Ned released a low growl. "Get your cute ass home and I'll do something about it."

The confrontation at work wasn't going to go well. Nancy cast one last fond look at Ned's image on her phone before she turned it off, reaching for her cover cell.

Walters wasn't in when Nancy arrived, and she fought the impulse to make an excuse to leave and go by his apartment. Instead, she waited. The bait had been one of the green-striped files, one she and Jerome had painstakingly faked so the spy would fall for it.

What if he hadn't.

Jenna, one of the friendlier secretaries, asked if Nancy wanted to order Chinese with them for lunch, and she agreed, distracted, watching the door. By the time Walters arrived, Nancy was practically ready to start pacing. She tightened her hand on the desk to keep from springing up, and reached for her phone handset, watching him intently in her peripheral vision as she pretended to talk to someone.

She couldn't tell if he was carrying the folder. He had a briefcase.

Nancy dialed the extension for Jerome's secretary. "Meet me at his office," she said when she was put through, then stood, smoothing her skirt down over her knees.

He tried to play it off. Of course he did. She stood by and watched as Jerome made pleasant conversation, then asked if Walters had found the time to review the silvercase patent. Instead of reaching for his briefcase, Walters nodded, easily giving a rundown of the progress he had made. He was incredibly cool, but considering what he was doing, he had to be.

His briefcase was standing next to his desk.

Walters had pulled the schematic for another patent up on his screen, and Jerome was making some comment on it, preternaturally serene himself. Nancy stepped forward and asked about the exploded diagram at the side, then let her foot slide off balance, slamming her hip into the desk as her heel tipped to the side.

"Ouch! Oh, man, ouch," Nancy cried out, tears rising in her eyes. She limped over to the seat and rubbed at her ankle.

The coffee mug had tipped over, spilling onto the briefcase and the floor. She didn't look at it. She didn't have to. Walters scrambled for a tissue while Jerome asked if Nancy was all right.

After that, after she glimpsed the file when Walters risked a glance inside to make sure the files were all right, they had him. The confrontation was brutal, and Nancy, rubbing at her ankle, couldn't help noticing that half the office staff had stopped what they were doing, and were staring with undisguised interest at Walters's office.

The police took Walters away. When Jerome offered her a hand up, Nancy noticed that her ankle actually did ache a little, but she smiled and accepted his profuse thanks.

The end of a case was always a letdown. The real challenge, the part that she loved most, was discovering who the culprit was, seeing him or her blanch or bluster or collapse when confronted. This part, the part after, was like sweeping up after the party.

By herself Nancy packed the small collection of actual belongings she had brought on her case, leaving the secondhand furniture in the apartment, the key in the box for Jerome, the company cell on the coffee table. She took a bag of clothes by the local goodwill store on her way to the airport.

No lunch with Jenna and the rest of the office staff; no going to the bar on the weekend with the other secretaries.

She hadn't even been able to tell them, these people who had known her for all of two weeks, that the complications in the case meant she had missed her birthday celebration.

Nancy and Ned had celebrated, briefly, over webcam. He had sung Happy Birthday to her and then asked her to take her clothes off, and though she had rolled her eyes, she had gone along with it. The sex that had followed had been mostly for his benefit. The dinner they had planned with their friends had been postponed until she was finished with the case, but their schedules were all incredibly busy, and in all honesty Nancy just wanted to curl up in bed with her husband and wake up fresh and ready for another case the next morning.

She called him when she was sitting at the gate, waiting for the plane to arrive. "Hey."

"Hey," Ned said happily. "Tell me you have good news."

"I'm in the airport right now."

"Great. When's your flight?"

She glanced at her watch. "We're supposed to take off in an hour. So I'll be getting in around five, if we're not delayed. Are you going to gift wrap yourself for me?"

"I could tie a ribbon around something for you," he teased her. "And your car... is at home. Shit."

"Oh no. You can't pick me up?"

"I'll take care of it. If I can't I'll get someone to pick you up. So how did the asshole take it when you got him?"

"It was red-handed," Nancy sighed happily, sitting back and crossing her legs. "He tried to play it off and then he exploded. It was amazing. Anyway, he's in custody now and everyone's happy."

"And that Jerome guy kept his hands to himself."

Nancy chuckled. "Yes, and I was so disappointed," she teased him.

Ned laughed at her. "I wish I'd been able to go with you. But you'll be home soon. And if I find any hickeys on you..."

"I am hickey-free," she swore. "But I'm sure you'll do something about that. Maybe a full inspection is in order."

The plane was actually, miraculously, a few minutes ahead of schedule. Once she boarded and had flipped through the flight magazine and the newspaper she had bought in the airport, she sat back with her plastic highball of iced water and closed her eyes, not thinking about the coughs and sneezes she could hear around her. Spring allergies. Had to be.

Ned hadn't given her his present before she had left. Of course not; none of them had expected the case to take this long. Walters had been smart and careful, but not careful enough. She tried to remember what she had given Ned for his birthday—

Her eyes opened.

She had fulfilled five of the items on his list. He had, in effect, fulfilled four on hers, although that last time he had combined a few. Maybe he thought he didn't still owe her. Maybe he didn't.

But he had asked her what she had really wanted, and she had told him which one.

Part of her was loathe to bring it up again. Since the last time, since Christmas, they had been doing well. There had been a few fights, mostly about how long she was working, but she couldn't really remember the last time they had been this happy.

Her entire time in that cover apartment had reminded her of the first days of their marriage, when they were still figuring it out, figuring each other out, so deferential that they weren't fighting yet. They had waited until they were married to make love for the first time, and the ache, the discomfort of losing her virginity hadn't been over in one breathless moment; the first few times they had had sex, the sheer size and unfamiliarity of him had left her sore, aware.

They hadn't known enough or they hadn't really cared enough to be self-conscious around each other, not at first, and not now. Between cases, after the long days he spent at work, they made love with the lights on, exploring each other, learning what to do with mouths and fingers and hips. Now, the sensation of him filling her, stretching her, was so unspeakably intimate, and she loved the desire and possessiveness she saw in his eyes when they were joined.

It wasn't everything. The sex wasn't everything. Their life together was infinitely more than that. Stealing time to go to the movies together, breakfast in bed, shooting pool with their friends, deciding what they could do with and do without. It was just that delight she felt when she was near him, that warm shiver up her spine, that she never, ever wanted to lose. Nearly single day she felt somehow, impossibly, more in love with him.

And she would see him soon.

She tried to remember that list he had composed so many months before, on a sheet ripped from the grocery-list pad, the original probably shoved into the back of her lingerie drawer.

But she knew what she wanted. Maybe over the weekend she could just talk him into it. Or maybe they could make another tape to keep him warm the next time she was out of town.

She came down the escalator to the baggage carousel, her gaze eagerly searching the crowd for him, but her face fell when she didn't see him. Exhausted, bedraggled fellow passengers were all grouped around the conveyor belt, scrutinizing the identical black bags. When another sweep of the room left her disappointed, she fished her phone out, hitting the power button.

A white placard caught her eye.

"Mrs. Nickerson?" the driver asked when she approached him.

"Yes."

"I'll be your transportation this evening. Would you like some assistance with your bags?"

She wavered, then nodded. "Actually, I would. Thanks."

They were merging onto the highway when Nancy called Ned. "I was expecting to see my dad or Hannah, not a hired car."

"Surprise," he said, his voice warm. "I wanted to be there, but Andrew managed to waste half the afternoon and we're still working on that damn proposal. Want me to order a pizza on the way home?"

"That sounds great," she sighed. "I don't have the energy to cook tonight, that's for damn sure. You won't be long, will you?"

"Not too long, I hope. I'll get him to hurry up, because I cannot wait to see you, babe."

"Me too."

The house was dark when she approached, but the driver helped her with her bags. "Anything else, ma'am?" he asked, as she fished for her keys.

"Nothing. Thank you very much."

She wrestled her bag inside, groping for the light switch. The room flooded with light—

"Surprise!"

The shout came from all around her, from the crowd of people in the living room. Her eyes wide, lips parted, she let out a startled, delighted cry. Her father, Hannah, Bess and George, Mike and Jan, Edith and James, half Ned's fraternity brothers, and, of course, Ned, stood waiting for her, drinks in their hands, their eyes bright.

"Happy birthday, Nan." Ned's dark brown eyes were fixed on her, a wide smile on his face.

"You... Oh, I can't believe you did this," she told him, letting her bag go so she could wrap her arms around him. "I seriously cannot believe you did all this. You guys!"

"Well, we felt awful about you having to be out of town on your birthday," George told her.

"And if ever there's a time to plan a surprise party for you, it's when you've just finished a case," Bess chimed in. "Or while you're still on it, because you tend to focus really hard."

Nancy chuckled. "Thanks, so, so much. All of you. This is such an amazing present. You didn't have to do this."

Ned had an arm looped around her waist, and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "We did," he said softly, and her eyelashes fluttered, a shiver going down her spine. "You deserve it."

It wasn't like her birthday when she was in high school; there was no stack of presents, no ridiculous dance party. But Hannah brought out a cake, and they had ice cream, and someone turned the television to the classic music station.

"Happy birthday, Nan."

Nancy turned around to see her father, and gave him a hug with a smile. "Thank you so much for being here."

"I wouldn't miss my favorite daughter's birthday."

"Your _only_ daughter's birthday," she retorted with a grin.

"So we'll see you and Ned this weekend, right?"

"Oooh, is there a present involved?" she teased him. "Maybe a pony? Because, if so, then definitely."

"A present, or Hannah's upside-down apple cake. Or both."

"With bells on," she promised, giving her father a kiss on the cheek.

After Ned's parents and her father and Hannah said their goodbyes, seemingly within seconds a bottle of vodka was out on the kitchen counter and all their assorted shot glasses were lined up. Nancy did a couple, but she could already feel her exhaustion like a prickly warmth under her skull, a heaviness in her limbs, so she switched to diet soda. By then the rest of the liquor cabinet was out and the music was louder and she drifted among the crowd, feeling happy.

Then Ned's hand slipped into hers. "Do you like this?"

She nodded at him, lazily, her lids heavy. "Oh yes. You are very, very sneaky, sir."

He squeezed gently, and leaned in to put his mouth against her ear. "Can I have you tonight," he whispered. "If you're not about to fall asleep on your feet, anyway."

She pulled back, wider awake now, and searched his gaze. It was always a command, a demand, never a question or request like this. She nodded, sliding her hand up, cupping his cheek. "Yeah," she murmured, and smiled.

"Come on!" Bess interrupted them, a red plastic cup in her hand. "I haven't heard this song since we were in high school!"

Part of Nancy wanted to grab Ned's hand and lead him upstairs, their guests be damned. Part of her wanted to pull him outside onto the porch and into a dark corner, to feel the teasing warmth of his kisses against her neck. But she took another soda and joined Bess and George in their exuberant dancing in the living room.

All the glee, the drunken joy around her was infectious. Ned joined her for a slow dance and she beamed up at him, shaking her head serenely when one of Ned's fraternity brothers tried to cut in. Ned grinned in obvious satisfaction when she did.

"Worst part of the dances," he murmured. " _Not_ having you in my arms."

She gently ran her fingertips down the back of his neck. "No, the worst part was when they were over."

"No, it was when I invited you back to my room and you just gave me that little smile and told me you'd see me bright and early in the morning."

"And I _will_ ," she said, her gaze on his jaw. "And all night, too."

They played cards, watched movies they hadn't seen in years, went outside to shiver and talk to the smokers. Nancy collected a few birthday cards, giggled over the inscriptions, thanked the givers when bills or gift cards slipped out.

It was late, so late nothing was on television and the night had turned a wicked cold, when the party ended. Bess walked into the kitchen to find Nancy, Ned, and George surveying a vast wasteland of red plastic cups, decimated vegetable platters, and nacho-flavored chip dust. Small paper plates dotted with congealing dip covered every available flat surface.

Ned was the first one to sigh and head for the cabinet, finding a large garbage bag. "Okay. Guess we should get this over with."

Nancy raised an eyebrow at him. "So unlike you," she said.

"Hey. Cleaning up after frat parties is always easier right after they're done. Otherwise there are..." he shuddered. "Nasty surprises."

Between the four of them, they managed to clean the kitchen, dining room, and living room in record time. Bess and George hugged Nancy goodbye after she promised to spend some time with them over the weekend.

"Still awake?" Ned asked, as he shut the door behind the cousins.

Nancy gave him a small smile. "For now," she said softly. "Have something special in mind?"

"A little."

Upstairs, Ned told her to wait while he prepared something, and she changed into a long t-shirt, sprawled on the bed and caught up on one of the shows she had missed while she was out of town. She could feel her exhaustion trying to catch up with her, but she fought it. Then Ned walked back in and she heard the water running in the tub, and smiled.

"Whenever you're ready."

She stopped the playback, then stretched, yawning. "Now's good."

The lights were off in the bathroom, but Ned had lit the candles, and the soft reflections of the flames dipped and flickered in the mirror. The bubble bath had made a deep layer of foam over the water, and Nancy stripped quickly, hissing when her toe touched the steaming water. She shivered when she sank beneath the bubbles, then sighed as the heat penetrated through her skin.

She moved forward as Ned slid in behind her, then leaned back against his chest. "Mmm," she sighed.

"So do you want to hear about how awful it was while you were gone?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling, her eyes closed. "How awful was it."

"I tried to make chicken and I burned it." His hands drifted up under the water and cupped her breasts, and she let her head rest against his shoulder. "I couldn't sleep. Actually, that's a lie, sleeping in bed alone is amazing."

She made an affronted noise and he laughed.

"What, are you saying it isn't?"

"It is," she murmured, as his thumbs brushed over her nipples. "It is nice. But then I wake up and you aren't there."

"Yeah," he agreed, and his hand drifted down, over her belly. "I even watched our tape one night but God, it just made me miss you more. Also, it's super-hot, and if you want to watch it tonight..."

She shook her head. "I'd rather reenact it," she said softly.

"Spoilsport," he grumbled. "Okay, fine. So tell me how much you missed me."

"So much," she said, sincerely. "I wanted to call you so many times. Remember when we used to go on cases all the time?"

"Boy, do I." He tilted and kissed her neck, and she parted her legs under the water, arching as he cupped the join of her thighs. "I liked being able to keep an eye on you. You are too damn gorgeous for your own good. So Julian didn't make a move on you."

"Totally didn't." Her fingertips drifted down his leg, against his thigh. "I mean, there was this really cute guy named Eric working in the next office—"

Ned shoved two fingers up inside her, and nipped at her ear. "Keep going."

"Who wasn't nearly as hot as you," she moaned, tilting her head back even more, her hips shifting against his touch. "God I've missed you."

"Good." He pulled out and she let out a soft noise of protest. "I miss going on cases with you."

She swallowed, then turned to him. "You _hated_ it," she said incredulously. "All I ever heard was how much you wanted me to stop, to spend some time with you..."

"Babe, if you'd been in my hotel room every night, trust me, I wouldn't have been complaining."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I doubt that."

He kissed her shoulder. "I was always afraid of you finding someone else," he said softly. "I always thought, when you said you weren't ready, that you were just... keeping your options open."

"You never said." She touched his knee.

"You mean to guilt you into having sex with me? ...Would that have worked?"

She turned around in the water to face him, directing a halfhearted playful slap at his shoulder. "Are you happy we waited?"

He tilted his head. "Are you?"

She looked at his chin. "Yeah," she said softly. "I mean, if we hadn't, that would have been okay... but we had a real wedding night. When we tell our kids to wait, we won't be lying. And I love that the first man I made love to was my husband. Was you."

He touched her chin and tilted it up, so their gazes would meet. "I'm glad it was you, too," he said softly. "It was always going to be you."

"Was that another promise you made to yourself," she said softly.

"Was it one you made?" he asked.

She ducked her head and he let out a startled laugh. "What? Yes?"

"I've never felt for any guy what I feel for you," she said. "And if I was ever going to let any man catch me, that man was going to be you."

He put his arms around her and she leaned against him for a long moment. "Okay," he murmured. "I guess I should have brought some wine or whatever, but... it's getting cold, isn't it."

She sighed. "Well, let me take a quick shower."

"You're about to get dirty again," he advised her.

"Oh good," she said, with a slow grin. "Guess we'll just have to take a shower together in the morning."

She left the candles lit and the lights off while she was in the shower, and when she emerged their bedroom was similarly lit. He went into the bathroom after her and Nancy went through her lingerie drawer, found the turquoise slip she had bought months before.

"I thought we'd try something," Ned said, and she turned to face him. "But if we end up going to the emergency room—"

Nancy put her hands on her hips. "What is it about you and sex and emergency rooms? When have we _ever_ ended up in the emergency room? For sex," she hastily added.

"You attended, like, two percent of the frat parties," he reminded her. "But—"

"Sex swing?"

Ned raised his eyebrows and his lips parted, and then he walked over to her and put his thumb over her lips. "We can do that next time," he told her softly. "We won't go to the emergency room. We'll just do something different if I end up fucking _spraining my dick_ or whatever. Now just... shhhh."

He moved his thumb and brushed his lips against hers, his arm looping around her waist, and he was so warm around her. She tilted her head back and her lips were parted when he kissed her again, slow, building. She slipped her arms around his shoulders, and his hair was still slightly damp against her fingers as she ran them through.

He broke off and sank to his knees in front of her, and she shivered when he kissed her inner thighs. Her knees buckled and she sat down at the edge of the bed, and he traced the lean lines of her leg, nuzzled against the sensitive flesh above her knees, pushing her gown out of his way. When he stood he grasped the hem of her gown and pulled it off, and she was naked, gazing up at him from their bed.

He slipped on his knees onto the mattress and she rose to meet him, kissing him hard. She could feel him, already hard, against her belly, and she let out a little moan, her shoulders pushing back as he cupped her breasts.

She let her fingers drift down, brushing against his thighs, and she gently cupped his balls. He groaned and pulled back, and they were both panting, and his eyes were so dark in the candlelight.

"Don't," he said softly, even though he was pushing back against her hand. "I can't... we have to slow down."

She let out a soft impatient sigh, then let her hand drop. "Okay," she whispered.

"Lie down," he said, and she obeyed, her knees coming up. He moved over her and she brushed her inner thighs against his hips, as he sank down to her. He teased her with slow soft kisses, down her belly, against the points of her hips. She sighed and moved restlessly under him, her fingers threading through his hair again. He kissed her navel, then tilted his head back to look at her.

"I love you, babe."

She smiled. "I love you, too," she murmured, then arched as he kissed her inner thigh again. He caressed her, trailing kisses, fingertips, his tongue, over her without parting her, until she let out a low groan.

"Babe," she begged, her nails against his shoulder blades. "Please, please."

He smiled, and as he moved up, over her again, she reached down to stroke him. His mouth crushed to hers as she ran her fist up and down the length of his cock, angling him into place. He didn't resist her, and then he parted her, tilting to push smoothly between her thighs.

Nancy let out a soft hum, already tilting back, when he put his hand on her hip, holding her in place. "Shh," he murmured, and his weight pinned her under him as he fully sheathed himself inside her. Then he moved, pushing himself up—

"Oh," she gasped out, as his cock brushed her clit. She rolled her hips, or tried to, and he let out a soft groan.

"Still," he murmured, and his face was near hers, his breath against her cheek. "Shh, be still, we... I'm gonna move and you move the other way and it's... it's supposed to be good for you."

He was trembling, and he moved her legs and she braced her feet on his calves, her hands drifting down his back. He moved up and she shook under him, tilting her hips, and then he moved down and she tilted the other way.

"Ohhhh, Ned..."

"Good?"

She nodded vigorously. Their hips shifted together again and it was so gentle, but the base of his cock was rubbing against her clit and she dug her nails into his back. He was holding her, keeping her from thrusting her hips, and she was so used to their lovemaking being violent, almost brutal with need and desire.

And he wasn't using his fingers between her legs, and she wasn't touching herself, and she flushed when he rubbed against her clit again.

He kissed her and she ran her nails up his back, clenching her inner flesh tight around the tip of his cock. She closed her eyes and his tongue teased hers, as they moved, oh so slowly. She grabbed his ass, gasping against his kiss as their angle became perfect, and he rocked deliberately against her and she pushed back, trembling. She tilted her head back, breaking the kiss, and he sucked her earlobe into his mouth as she let out a long, low groan.

"Nan," he breathed, as she pressed down against his legs to angle her hips. She whimpered and even as she urgently kneaded his flesh, trying to force him harder against her, he kept a slow, steady rhythm going against her.

"Ned," she whined, grinding weakly against him. "Oh my God, oh my God."

"Good?" he whispered again, nipping at her neck.

"Mmmm," she replied, gasping when he caught her just-right again. "Like that right there _right there_."

She couldn't remember it ever being like this, feeling him against her like this. He shifted the angle of his hips and pushed her even harder into the mattress as he ground against her, and she pushed her shoulders back, pressing her breasts even more firmly against his chest. She could hardly move anything other than her arms and legs, and blindly, in the dim candlelight, she kissed his neck, stroking down his hips.

"How," she gasped. "How are you—still— _shit._ "

"If I were really inside you," he murmured, and shifted a little, and she trembled hard under him. "Oh, baby."

They kissed again and he held her head, even when she tried to tilt back again, even when she shivered and barely circled her hips under his. He mimicked the movement in counterpoint and she sucked in a breath, as he sucked her lower lip into his mouth.

"I want you... I want you to come," she panted, and she was so, so wet under him. "Please, _please_."

"Not until you do," he told her, and grasped her shoulders.

He made his shifts smaller, harder, and she released a long, low groan, stroking her inner thighs against his hips. The sensation of him against her clit wiped everything else out for her and she moved against him, her palms pushing at the small of his back.

When she came, finally, after so, so long, she felt almost the same relief she had when he had denied and denied and denied her and finally let her have her release, but the pure aching pleasure of it made her cry out his name. He moved against her faster, faster, and she screamed, arching under him.

He rode her through it, with those same short sharp brushes against her clit, until she was begging wordlessly for something, anything, anything.

Then he moved back and changed the angle of his hips, then sheathed himself fully inside her with a groan.

"Yes," she moaned, as he pulled back for another harder thrust. "Oh my God yes."

"Feels so good," he murmured, as she wrapped her legs around him. "Nan, baby you feel so fucking good."

"Mmmm," she replied, as he pushed home again.

When he pulled fully out of her, then moved back, she let out a soft groan, blinking lazily up at him. "More," she murmured.

Then he grabbed her hips and pulled her to the edge of the bed, and she was powerless under him, moving only to part her legs more widely. He leaned over her and she reached for his shoulders, her stomach tightening with desire and need as he just fit himself inside her again.

The swift depth of his thrust had her arching up under him, panting hard. She made high desperate, encouraging sounds as he sheathed himself inside her, over and over, gravity pulling his hips down to hers in a rapid, brutal joining. She writhed under him, circling her hips, and her whimpers turned to a low groan as she came again. Her hips bucked rhythmically, instinctually under him, in counterpoint to his thrusts, rough and quick, and her whole body, her whole being, was centered on the sensation of her husband moving against her. She tightened her legs around his waist, rolling against him. Ned, his skin gleaming with sweat, straining at the effort of holding back, buried himself to the hilt inside her. She dug her nails into his shoulders as he groaned with his release, and he let his head fall to the comforter above her shoulder, panting against her skin.

He sighed, then chuckled against the comforter. "Was that what you wanted?"

"Yeah," she murmured, running her fingers through his hair. "God, yes. That was sooooo good. It wasn't good for you?"

He pulled back and looked her in the face. "I like being deeper," he admitted. "Deeper than that. Although, God, baby, you look so damn hot when— hell. You came, right?"

She nodded slowly, her palm caressing his cheek. "One of these days... well, I don't know quite how, but anyway, I am gonna pin you down and make sure you are inside me the entire time I come."

"I think we've done that."

"Without moving?"

"Yeah, that... not so much."

She smiled and arched up to give him a little kiss. "You're amazing," she murmured.

He kissed her back hard as he pulled out of her. "So this... this thing. We're finished."

She shrugged. "Do you want to be?"

He pushed himself up and went to the bathroom, coming back with a cloth for her. "It's been fun," he admitted. "And bad sometimes. And fun. And I thought of something to take one of my free spaces. So..." He shrugged and slipped under the covers.

She glanced at the discarded nightgown, then shrugged and snuggled deeper, letting out a soft purr of contentment when Ned slipped an arm around her. "So you want some more," she murmured, nuzzling the pillow.

He ducked and pressed his lips between her shoulder blades. "What I want," he murmured, and she shivered as he kissed the back of her neck, "is you. All this... and when it's been good it's been amazing, don't get me wrong... but all this other stuff, doesn't really matter."

She turned over, moving close to him, skin to skin. "Love you," she whispered, and pressed her face to his chest.

"Love you," he replied, stroking her hair back. "Happy birthday, babe."

She chuckled. "And you will _never_ be able to top this birthday present."

"Me? _You_ are never gonna be able to top _last_ year's present."

She ran her hand up and down his side. "Challenge accepted," she murmured, then shrieked with laughter as he tickled her.

"Sure you want this to escalate?"

"Definitely," she told him, pushing his hands away, squirming under him, and she caught her breath when he rolled on top of her. She touched his face again, gazing into the warm brown of his eyes, dark with desire.

He grinned and kissed her again. "Good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


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